


Doctor Who: The Voyager Book One

by sammistories



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-09-01 13:14:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 35,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16765855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sammistories/pseuds/sammistories
Summary: Sometimes things change...for better or for worse...I put myself into this situation. Do I regret it? Not one bit. These are my "journals", my adventures with the Doctor and this is the story of how it all began.





	1. Chapter 1

Time is flexible, it can change, bend, and twist to your desire…well, as long as you have a time machine. A magnificent time machine that can transcend time and space…you could travel anywhere to anytime in the universe. I lived long enough to see it transform not only time, but the people as well for the better and for worse. It is true that I am older than any average human, even timelords…but I’m getting ahead of myself. This is a story, my story, of a young woman on a somewhat average day who gets thrown into the world of time and space. How her life turned upside down so that a lonely man would never have to be lonely. 

I ran down a long hallway and rounded a corner running down the hall again, there was no way I was going to be late again. Bumping into a few students and I apologized along the way, my backpack was halfway across my back which made it impossible to run. I managed to slip into my classroom just as the teacher was about to close the door and gave her a cheeky grin. Lifting a brow at me and crossing her arms, she said, “You’re late”, “Actually, Miss Free, I am a minute early”, I told her, as I pointed at the clock on the wall. Now Miss Free had a thing about students being late...preferably to those who were a minute "almost" too late to class. “Go get your tardy slip”, she told me, and I gaped at her, “What? But…I’m early”, I told her getting upset, “Even so…you’ve been a minute early to my class every day. Colleges and jobs won’t be as lenient, I am preparing when that day comes and all you need to do is be here a little earlier. Now go”, she said, and I walked out upset. Little did I know she had a bigger role to my story than I thought, but it maybe a little too early to talk about it.

I blushed in embarrassment as pouted making my way down the hall again towards the office. Even if I was eighteen and a senior in high school, I still had much to learn on the matters of time. As I roamed down the hall, I hadn’t noticed I stepped on some green slime until I felt something wet drip into my shoe. Glancing down I saw that my shoe was completely covered in green slime, I was a little more than grossed out and took my shoe. I followed the slime trail to where it came from and it led into the chemistry lab, was it some sort of science experiment, I wondered. Walking into the lab in the dark, I felt my blood run cold as I heard a gurgling noise. “Duck”, I heard a man yell from behind me and after I did so, I heard a whirring sound a splat. The lights turned on and green goo was splattered everywhere, until the pieces whined and escaped through the air vent. The man seemed familiar somehow and somehow I knew there was more to the story than a man chasing down some run away goo through a vent.

I sighed and stood, then watched as the man ran to the air vent where it had gathered together and escaped, “I need a way to trap it in the air vent and flush it outside”, the man said. Of course, cool air kept the goo firm and the water in the lab kept it moist, but if it went outside in the hot-dry air it’d turn to liquid and then evaporate. “I know where you can access the vent controls”, I told the man and he looked up at me, “They’re in the office, which so happens is where I’m going”, he smiled broadly from ear to ear. “Let’s not waste any more time then”, he said chuckling as he stood, then he walked out of the science lab and began walking to the office until I quickly walked in front of him, hands on my hips. “Where do you think, you’re going”, I asked, “To the office”, he told me obviously and I shook my head, “No, no, no, no, I’m going to the office by myself, they know me there and...they don't know you. You're just a strange man carrying a cooler. I'm going to distract them and you can go to the back of the office where the vent controls are then flush the green slime out before anybody notices what's going on”, I told him. “How do you know where the controls are”, he asked me, “I may or may not have gotten in some trouble before”, I told him before I started walking away. “Oi”, he yelled I stopped and turned around, “What’s your name”, he asked me, “Acacia Berry Wood”, I told him and he gave me a look, “Yeah…I know it’s silly, my parents had a sense of humor…Who’re you”, I asked. “Doctor”, he told me, “Doctor who”, I asked and he smiled sadly, “Isn’t that always the question”, he told me. 

I gave him a confused look before turning around again and making my way to the office, as soon as I walked in the office clerk’s eyes were immediately on me. “I was told to see the principle, the phone wasn’t working so I came straight here”, I told them and they sighed. “What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself in this time? Honestly, I thought you grew out of it, go on”, one of the clerks said and then they went back to work. I nodded sheepishly and walked down the corridor inside of the office where different vice principals and guidance counselors had their offices. I snuck passed the principals and the securities’ office and was finally at the controls room that controlled everything inside of the school, why they had the controls all the way at the back…I had no idea.

Glad I could remember how to use the controls, I then shut down every air shaft except the one that led outside. I then opened up a window and looked outside to see the green slime slip into a cooler with the Doctor giving me a thumbs up before closing it. After that, I then opened every air shaft to every room inside of the building and was pleased that I could help until..., “What are you doing in here”, I jumped as I glanced over to the left to see the security guard glaring down at me. The security officer just so happened to be my dad…well one of my dad’s, my biological dad, “Oh! Hi Dad”, I said awkwardly as he crossed his arms and looked disapprovingly at me. 

“Acacia”, I heard the Doctor shout outside of the window, “Who’s that”, my Dad acting security officer asked, “Um…a friend, speaking of which…I have to go”, I said then quickly jumped out of the window. “Hey”, my Dad shouted as he tried to grab me, his body half way outside of the window, “Sorry…say hi to Charlette for me”, I said and waved at him before running with the Doctor into the forest. I saw a blue police box in the distance, now that was odd…we were in the U.S. why would something like that be here, I wondered. 

“It’s time for me to go and take this little guy home”, the Doctor cooed at the cooler and I looked at him confused, “You’re talking as if it’s a pet”, I said. “He is, goes by the name of Oogle..a baby slime from a planet far far away”, he told me and I crossed my arms, “Is that a Star Wars reference”, I asked, “Yes, it is”, The Doctor told me amused. “And you’re going to a planet far far away with a pet slime”, I asked and he nodded, “To return him”, he added, “Right”, I said as if were completely crazy. “Look if you don’t believe me , take a look for yourself", he said taking a key out of his pocket, opening the door to the police box and I just looked at him questioningly. “Go on”, he told me, and I sighed as I shook my head, “I must be crazier then you”, I told him and he just smiled as I opened the door and walked in. 

I gaped at the large room inside and held onto the railing for balance as the Doctor came in behind me and placed the cooler down next to the console. “What do you think”, he asked me, “It’s…beautiful”, I said after a moment, “Isn’t she”, Doctor said proudly, “You’re inside the Tardis…a time machine that can travel through time and space.” “Do you want me to come with you”, I asked, “Of course, but not until you graduate”, he told me as he walked up to me and pulled out a metal rod with a red tip, tinkering with it before handing it to me. “See this button”, he told me, pointing at a button on the side of the metal rod and I nodded, “Press this after you have your diploma in hand”, he told me, “Okay”, I agreed confused. 

“Now out you go, I have a pet to return and don’t forget to press the button as soon as you have your diploma”, Doctor said as he started pressing buttons on the console. “W-will I see you again”, I asked nervously, “You’ll see me again”, the Doctor affirmed me and I nodded walking towards the door. After I opened it, he added, “Sooner then you may think, Geronimo”, the Doctor said the last part quietly before I exited. The Tardis made a whirring sound, before it faded away and my heart was going a mile a minute. Not too long after I heard my Dad’s voice as he ran up to me and gave me a hug, I could tell he was worried about me running off with a strange man that I had just met. However, for some reason I felt like I could trust him and I gazed at the metal rod he had given me. 

It’s been a long year and its June, graduation day, I certainly dressed for it as I glanced down at my purple dress. My parents were proud, well mainly my Mom and her long-term boyfriend; I had left them a goodbye letter in my bedroom. I would miss them.

All the seniors were dressed in the same graduation outfits and we stood alphabetically in a line as we waited for our names to be called out, so we could go on stage shake the principal’s hand as he handed us our High School diploma. Since our class was so big, we had our graduation ceremony moved to a local coliseum, which so happened to be next to a rather large forest. “Acacia Berry Wood”, I heard my name called from on stage. I slowly walked up the stairs, lifting my graduation gown, going on stage to shake the principal’s hand as he gave me my diploma. I noticed he nodded in approval before I tried to elegantly go down the stairs off the stage and failed. I tripped a little and blushed in embarrassment before leaving the large room and quietly exited out of the building to go straight into the forest. 

Pulling out the metal rod, I gazed at it and remembered I had it sitting on my dresser. Every day I would look at it, but never picked it up. At least not until today. For some reason, it felt like it was waiting and when I picked it up today, it was like it had sighed in relief, like it was glad I had picked it up. Slowly, I pressed the button as instructed, however what I didn’t know and the Doctor forgot was that the signal could be reached to every single Doctor in our universe…the past, present, and the future. 

Every single Doctor parked far away from me, except the one that I knew of upon exiting he walked up to me and said, “Look right at me, don’t look round”, “Why not”, I asked confused, “Spoilers”, he told me cheekily. “I see you’ve graduated”, he told me pointing at my hat, “Ah, yes”, I said removing it, “I just got my diploma today.” “Yes, I see”, the Doctor told me as he looked like he was having an inner struggle, “Doctor…? Are you alright”, I asked, “Yes and no”, he told me glancing around the forest, “May I have my sonic screwdriver back?” I gave him a confused glance, before taking out the metal rod, “This is a screw driver”, I asked as I handed back to him. “Yes and it helps me get out of certain situations, however it doesn’t work on wood…shall we go inside”, he asked, “Um, sure”, I said as we walked into his police box, he seemed…antsy when we were outside. When we were in the Tardis he seemed to have calmed down and even sighed in relief.

“Now…where shall we go”, the doctor asked me as I took off my graduation gown and hat placing them down on a seat, “How about…anywhere? You did say this was a time machine that could go anywhere in time and space. So how about…pilot’s choice”, I asked. He grinned as he pressed a button and off we went. However, what happened next was completely unexpected, at least to the Doctor, The Tardis jerked forward and back then it spun around. My body felt like it was being pulled, and somehow in that moment, the Doctor and I had inadvertently created an alternate universe. It was if time itself shifted to fit a random time anomaly in it.

Suddenly the lights inside the Tardis began to fade in and out, until the lights turned so bright that it was hard to bare and I closed my eyes tightly so I didn’t have to look. Once it was gone, I slowly opened my eyes again to see an older gentleman stand across from me on the other side of the console. I was in a brightly lit white room with a man and woman standing on one side of the console and a girl standing on the other side.

They all looked at me as if expecting something, “Um…hello”, I said meekly, “Ah…American, so it is you”, the older man told me. “Me?” What do you mean”, I asked as the man and woman fidgeted, I noticed, “You look different, younger and less bouncy”, the girl told me and I gave her a perplexed glance. “Yes and…well, we’re here”, the Doctor told us, “Here? Now hold on…wait a moment, I need answers. First, where’s the Doctor”, I asked and they all looked at each other and then sighed. “I’m the Doctor”, the older man told me, “What? But…that can’t be…you were- “, “Who you saw before was a regeneration…. I’m a Timelord, an alien from Galifrey. Surely, I’ve told you all this”, he told me, cutting me off. “No, he…I mean you didn’t”, I told the Doctor as my head spun, what the hell was going on?!


	2. Chapter 2

I looked around the Tardis for some sort of familiarity as the girl told her Grandfather, that being the Doctor, “Grandfather! We’re not really at our destination…. we’re miles away and off by hundreds of years”, she told him. “Where exactly are we Susan”, the man asked as the Doctor turned a knob to turn on the monitor and revealed what was outside, “The coordinates are wrong”, the Doctor said as he zoomed in on the structure in the distance, as the blur cleared it revealed that it was a temple. “Looks like a 15th century Aztec temple”, the woman said in awe and I nodded, “I... forgot to ask”, I said sheepishly, “Who are you?” “Oh, my name is Ian Chesterton and this is Barbara Wright. We’re teachers at Susan’s High School”, Ian told me as they both shook my hand. 

“Right…and by the look of your clothes…I’d say…not from my time”, I asked bluntly, “No, from 1963”, Susan piped up and I flustered… that long ago? I may not be able to act as I wish without offending them, I thought and folded my hands together, “Yes, of course”, I said awkwardly. They gave me a strange look before brushing it off, “So we’re in North America, but not in the U.S. and we’re I the wrong time zone”, the Doctor said out loud. “No”, I agreed and furrowed my brows, “Were… were you trying to get rid of me” I asked and everyone was silent as I glared at the Doctor. “I’m not leaving”, I told him, “Well, obviously, you’re not”, the Doctor said as he gestured towards the monitor, “Once we are, we putting you back where you came from… setting everything right”, he said, but not really believing it. 

“So, what? Your plan was to drop me…future me back on Earth? When? 2011”, I asked him, “Isn’t that where you came from”, he asked me and I shook my head. I pulled a lever, opening the doors to the Tardis, and walked out to get some fresh air. As I stood there, I breathed slowly there was still some residual feelings there that were left behind by my future self… how I knew that, I had no idea. Why did I go off like that? What’s wrong with me? I sighed and I looked at the Aztec temple as the group walked out of the Tardis behind me, I turned to look at them as they smiled kindly at me.

“Lovely isn’t it”, Ian said walking up next to me, “Yeah”, I said and glanced over as he watched the temple sparkle, then looked back at the temple. “What happened before you left”, he asked me, “I just graduated high school”, I told Ian who looked to have become very uncomfortable. “If you born in my time, you could have been one of my students”, Ian told me, I sighed and smiled, “Try not to think about it”, I told him, patting his shoulder before walking up to the other three who stood just outside of the Tardis. “Feel better”, Barbara asked me and I nodded, “I apologize”, the Doctor told me reluctantly, “I realize you aren’t the same person from before, but we do need to get under way”, he told me as he turned around and I scoffed. “To do what”, I asked and he glanced back at me, “To get a closer look at the temple of course”, he told me, before I slowly smiled as we all walked in to materialize just inside the temple we were just looking at. 

Barbara and Susan were the first ones to leave, before I followed them noticing Ian and the Doctor whispering quietly to each other as I left. When I was outside, I noticed both Barbara and Susan examining the skeleton that laid out on a table which was covered in jewels, necklaces, and other treasures. “Hey, Look! Cartoons”, Susan exclaimed as she pointing towards a wall that was covered in writing and paintings of people. I just shook my head at her as I examined the skeleton as well along with Barbara, my eyes narrowed in confusion as the wall tilted downward as soon as Susan touched it. Barbara walked into the room behind the wall without a care in the world as Susan and I stayed back, “Be careful”, Susan told her, “Yeah, there could be traps”, I added and Susan gave me a concerned look, “I’m fine, it’s perfectly safe”, Barbara said reassuringly as she looked at back at us.

“Okay, we’ll be back with the others”, Susan told her as she grabbed my hand and pulled me inside of the Tardis. Once inside we noticed the Doctor and Ian having a quiet argument before they stopped to look at us with firm expressions. Susan thought nothing of it as she went to explain to them that we had found a wall that flipped to reveal a room and that Barbara went inside to examine it. Both Ian and the Doctor sighed, “Well she is a history teacher maybe she knows what she’s doing”, Susan told the Doctor. “I don’t care if she is a teacher, I’ve told her repeatedly not to wonder off on her own”, the Doctor exclaimed as Susan and I pressed on the wall just outside, we opened the wall to reveal that she wasn’t there. The four of us went further into the room, “Barbara”, Ian called, “Barbara! No sign of her”, “She was here a moment ago,”, Susan told them as we all walked further in.

“Doctor! Acacia! Look at that extraordinary city down there”, Ian exclaimed as we walked up beside him to look down at the city over the ledge. “The Aztecs they knew how to build”, Doctor told Ian, “Fairly well it seems, look at the bricks and concrete”, I added. “We must be pretty high up here”, Ian commented in awe, I sat on the ledge gazing down at the city. “This place seems utterly deserted”, Ian added, “I doubt it is though”, I told him and he gulped, he turn around a ran back into the room as he yelled about the wall shutting. 

We all immediately ran to try and catch it, but it was too late and it was impossible to open it back up, “There’s no grip to hold on to”, Ian told us, “You think”, I said annoyed. “There has to be a way”, Susan cried, “We have to push it on the other side, only then can it be opened again”, the Doctor told us. I touched the door and felt the Tardis’s presence on the other side and then I removed it, well that was odd I thought. “These tombs were built to prevent grave robbers, not to aid them”, Doctor added, “Yetaxa’s man servant knows well”, we heard a man say behind us, we quickly turned around to see a man wearing a tall hat and a robe, “I am Autloc, high priest of knowledge, I humbly greet the servants of Yetaxa”, the man told us and then bowed. “Servants of whom”, Doctor asked confused, and quite frankly so was I, where was Barbara? “Yetaxa, the high priest”, Autloc answered, “Where’s Barabara”, Ian asked, “Of whom do you speak”, Autloc asked. “A woman who was here a moment ago”, Ian answered, “Our friend… brown hair, brown eyes, wears strange clothes like ours…. Have you seen her”, I asked. 

Ian, Susan, and the Doctor glanced at me before looking back at the priest, “In due time you shall meet again, young lady. But first grant us our courtesies. There is no evil in our hearts towards you, we honor you”, Autloc told us and bowed again. “Okay, okay, enough…bowing”, I said awkwardly as the man stood straight and smiled politely, “And you are the high priest”, the Doctor asked to make sure, “Such as I serve”, Autloc told the Doctor. “You know where we came from”, the Doctor asked him, “The tomb”, Auloc replied, “Yes…and isn’t there a way back from this side”, Doctor asked him, tapping his chin in thought. “The tomb is sealed… go now with these attendants, you shall now speak with the one who wears the bracelet of Yetaxa”, Autloc told us and we followed the attendants out of the room.

“Yetaxa must be someone they worship”, I stated quietly as everyone else remained quiet as we were taken away to see “Yetaxa.” “So how did you meet my grandfather”, Susan asked after she bounded up next to me, “In my High School”, I told her, “Capturing a pet slime”, I added amused and Susan smiled as well. “He wanted me to go with him after I graduated”, I told her quietly, but somehow Ian managed to hear and said, “Smart man.” “Before he left he gave me a sonic screwdriver and told me that as soon as I had my diploma, press the button to signal him and he’ll come. When the day came, I did and things got a little weird… we went into the Tardis and everything seemed back to normal. At least until…I…disappeared”, I said the last parts slowly in realization as I went into a complete halt.

“…What are my parents and siblings going to say when they don’t see me… oh god what if they think I ran away… I just got up and left with a man that I hardly knew…not even that, I…” I paused after that, not noticing everyone giving me concerned glances as they looked at each other. Susan lightly touched my arm comfortingly, “It’s alright”, she told me kindly, but that was all she said as she glanced back at her father, “Let’s keep moving”, the Doctor told us as I began walking again. I was in a different time zone with strangers…what have I gotten myself into?


	3. Chapter 3

The buildings in the Aztec village were beautiful, that I couldn’t deny …but I felt something sinister in the air as we, as in Ian, the Doctor, Susan, and I were escorted to the throne room. Upon entering the throne sat Barbara who wore a tall hat covered in flowers, a feathered robe, a long skirt, and shiny shoes; all of which were yellow, gold, purple, blue, pink, and red. “Barbara”, Ian exclaimed, walking up to her, “Leave us”, she ordered the attendants, they bowed and left. “Good gracious”, Doctor commented rubbing his forehead, “What on earth are you doing there”, Ian asked her, “They think I’m a reincarnation of the Priest inside of the tomb”, she told him.

“Why? Just because you’re wearing that bracelet”, I asked, “Exactly, when the high priest caught me…he saw that I was wearing this”, Barbara told us as she showed us her bracelet, that she wore on her arm. The bracelet itself was gold and was in the shape of a snake that wrapped around her arm, “So he thought you were a god”, Susan stated, “Yes”, Barbara replied. Susan shook her head, “But the priest in the tomb was a man! How can they think you’re a reincarnation of him”, Susan asked her.

I simply shook my head, things like this were a little understood in my time…. but there were still those with closed minds; I wished people were a lot more open minded like that…the only thing that matters is the type of person they are. “The form the spirit takes isn’t important, Susan. This is”, Barbara said interrupting my thought as she showed Susan the bracelet again. “Well either way, she makes a kickass goddess”, I said bluntly and everyone stared wide eyes at me before they laughed, “Somethings never change”, Barbara stated, “They never do”, Ian added. 

I was confused by this, but was relieved as the tone and air became light with humor, “…but the High Priest”, Susan asked, “Autloc”, Doctor corrected. “That’s right, Orkloc”, Ian said, “Autloc”, the Doctor corrected loudly, “Autloc. He said we were servants of Yetaxa. Is that who they think you are”, Ian asked Barbara who nodded. “Yes”, she replied. “And were your servants”, Ian asked wanting confirmation, “Yes”, she replied again, “Charming”, the Doctor commented. “It’s very useful Doctor, we can go into the tomb and leave”, Barbara told him, “That’s…going to be a little difficult”, I said sheepishly, “Why’s that”, she asked, “It only opens from the inside”, Susan answered. “Reincarnations can come out, but humans can’t come in”, Doctor added, “There’s got to be a way…like a secret entrance or something”, I asked.

“First we must find out if there is a way to open this door”, Ian told me, “No that’s something we mustn’t do. As Yetaxa, you should know everything…. If the Aztecs decide you’re not what you’re supposed to be, we’ll all die”, the Doctor told Barbara a matter of fact. Everyone was tense as two high priests entered the throne room, “Great spirit Yetaxa, I, Tlotoxl, High Priest of Sacrifice, salute you”, the High priest, Tlotoxl told Barbara whom he believed was Yetaxa. “I acknowledge the High priest’s greeting”, Barbara told him, then Autloc spoke, “For many days, the rain god has locked away from us. The land withers and our people groan.” “We have prayed that the land be made beautiful. This day we honor Tlotoxl’s name”, the high priest Tlotoxl told Barbara, “When the Sun’s fire first touches the horizon to the west. The people will stand before the temple as we command. WE humbly beg, Great Spirit, that at that time, the people shall see you and know that their suffering has ended”, High Priest Autloc added. 

“Then Barbara will appear and down will come the rain”, I heard the Doctor whisper sarcastically beside me, “Doctor”, I hissed and he glanced at me with raised eyebrows gesturing his head towards Barbara, giving me a skeptical look. I was glad the High Priests didn’t notice, “I shall do as the High Preists requests”, Barbara told them and I quickly looked at her with a concerned expression. “We also…beseech you, Great Spirit, to let your handmaidens and servants move freely among our people”, Autloc said glancing between the Doctor and Barbara, I looked over at the Doctor as Autloc finished and he glanced away. 

Then the Doctor stepped forward dramatically, “Oh, Great Spirit, grant our wish to be your eyes and ears among our people to do our best and serve in all our interests”, the Doctor said and bowed towards Barbara. I kept my mouth a thin line to try and keep from smiling, “The aged servant speaks with wisdom”, Autloc said then bowed and I breathed out slowly to keep from laughing. “My youngest handmaiden stays with me, the others may go”, Barbara acting as Yetaxa told Autloc. “We shall await you”, both the high priests said, bowed, and then walked away.

We all looked over at the Doctor and chuckled quietly as soon as the priests were gone, "A wonderful performance my dear. We now have everything we want exactly”, Doctor told Barbara, “We do”, she asked confused, to be honest the rest of us were all confused. “Yes; you, Susan, and…oh”, the Doctor glanced at me before sighing, “Well we have you two here where it’s safe. While the three of us go outside and find out what we can about the tomb”, the Doctor told us. 

"Sounds okay, but I don’t think we should take our eyes off these two. And don’t forget we must take a woman with us”, Ian told him and I scoffed. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself as they are”, I told Ian annoyed, Susan and Barbara glanced at me confused, then smiled in appreciation. “Yes…well, I wasn’t taking about them…I meant the High Priests outside”, Ian told me, “Oh”, I said and blushed at my mistake, “My argument still stands”, I said embarrassed. “Of course, but I don’t think we need to mind them…the priests”, Doctor told us looking between Ian and I, “They’re too busy timing their miracle.” “What miracle”, Susan asked, “Presenting Barbara to the public one second before it rains”, the Doctor told her, “But that’s…crazy, I mean we can’t just let her go out there”, I said. “Of course, not…which is why we’re going to explore and find out as much as we can about the temple before it happens”, the Doctor told me. 

As we walked outside we noticed that the two priests were whispering to each other, all I could make out was young man, worthy, and warrior, “It’s decided, the old man and hand maiden may walk abroad. And you shall command our army”, Tltoxl told Ian. “Surely that is for Yetaxa to decide”, the Doctor told the high priest, “Yetaxa would not refuse such a great honor”, Ian told him, which prompted me to elbow him in the ribs. He grabbed his side and gave me a confused expression as I raised my eyebrows him, could he really not see how this was suspicious, “I accept”, Ian told the Priest, ignoring the warning glare that I was now giving him. 

“Autloc take the old man to the Garden of Peace to sit in comfort, the take the handmaiden to get supplies for Yetaxa”, Tltoxl ordered Autloc. The Doctor and I left Ian with the Priest of sacrifice. As we were escorted to the Garden the Doctor said that I could stay with him if I wished, I told him it was probably best if we played along to which he agreed reluctantly. 

We arrived at the Garden of Peace and it was beautiful, every flower on Earth you could imagine grew just inside. The Doctor and I watched as older men and women roamed inside of the Garden. “What are all these people doing here”, Doctor asked and Autloc replied with, “It is our law that all who attain their 52nd year shall pleasurably pass the remainder of their lives free of responsibility and care", “Poor souls, they must get bored doing nothing”, the Doctor commented. “Do they get visitors”, I asked, “Oh yes, many seek the advice and wisdom they have accumulated over the years”, Autloc told me and I nodded. 

“What about”, Doctor asked the Priest, “All manner of things; each person here has served the community in some way or another. He wore priestly garments, she was a woman of medicine, that man-“, “What about her”, Doctor asked cutting off the priest as he pointed to an older woman who was picking flowers and then sat down. “Cameca? Of all those here, her advice, is most sought after”, Autloc told him, “What did you say her name was”, the Doctor asked, “Cameca, you will find her a companion of wit and interest”, the high priest told him.

I was looking at Cameca now, at least until the Doctor chuckled and looked back at me, “What is it”, I asked confused, “It’s nothing”, he told me. “Okay”, I said awkwardly, “Now I beg your departure as I take this handmaiden to get supplies”, Autloc told him. “I’ll see you soon”, the Doctor told me and that caught me by surprise for a moment before I waved goodbye to him as I left with Autloc. At least I was until Ian came up to me and dragged me back towards the Doctor leaving Autloc in the dust. 

We paused right in front of the Doctor as he stood after speaking with Cameca. Looking over at Ian with a confused look, I noticed he was wearing armor with a helmet that looked like a lion’s mane. “Doctor”, Ian said seriously, “Ah, my dear Chesterton and Acacia back so soon? No matter, this dear lady has promised me to arrange a meeting between myself and the son of the man who built the temple”, the Doctor old us, “That was quick”, I said with narrowed brows. The Doctor frowned and gave me a confused look as Cameca looked up at me smiling, knowingly. “Most kind of you madame”, Ian told here, “Thank you”, I added as well. 

“Pray excuse me, then you may speak freely”, Cameca said then stood to walk up to me and whisper in my ear, “I pray that you not let him go so easily and that you lead an adventurous life”, then she patted my shoulder and walked away. 

As soon as she was gone, Ian began telling us what was wrong, “There’s to be a human sacrifice today, at the ceremony for the Rain God and I have to-“, “Just a minute what do you have to do”, Doctor asked cutting him off as soon as he was about to tell him. Ian sighed and said, “I must escort the victim and hold him down. Doctor, I can’t- “, “Do it man, but don’t interfere. Promise me, please”, the Doctor told him and Ian hesitated before nodding in understanding. “Okay, we’ll go and tell Barbara”, Doctor said before grabbing my hand and leading the way. 

I was confused by this and asked, “But Doctor, shouldn’t we stop it”, “No, it’s their tradition, a different time…we cannot stop it nor interfere. They have the right to do what they will”, Doctor said trying to convince himself more than me. “But…it feels so- “, “Wrong? I know, but there’s nothing we can do”, the Doctor said as we walked up the temple, however some guards stopped us along the way. The Doctor let go of my hand as he pointed at the throne room and said rather loudly, “Get out of the Way! Let us pass! We must speak to Yetaxa”, then we shoved our way through and walked into the throne room, then into her bedroom. 

Once inside, Susan ran up to us, “Susan, please go outside and don’t let anybody in”, the Doctor told her, to which she nodded and did as she was told. “What is it? What’s happened”, Barbara asked worried, “There’s to be a human sacrifice at the rain ceremony”, the Doctor told her. “Oh no”, she said horrified, but that was all she said and that made me angry…was that she had to say about it? “Ian’s apart of the ceremony”,I told her, “What”, Barbara asked, “Yes, they made him a warrior and he has to escort the victim to the alter and promised me not to interfere”, the Doctor lied to Barbara.   
“And you must not interfere, do you understand”, the Doctor told her, “But I can’t just sit by and watch”, she admitted, “No, Barbara! Ian and Acacia agree with me”, the Doctor told her and I glared at him as he gave me an apologetic glance before looking back at Barbara. “You agree with this”, Barbara asked me upset and the Doctor gave me a stern look to which I ignored, “No, I don’t”, I told her and she sighed relieved. “At least someone is talking sensible…right they’ve made me a goddess and I forbid it”, Barbara told us, “Barbara, no”, Doctor told her and then looked angrily at me. 

“Don’t look at her like it’s her fault, it’s my choice and I forbid it”, Barbara said, “This is a mistake”, the Doctor told us, “There will be no sacrifice this afternoon Doctor or ever again. This reincarnation of Yetaxa will prove to the people that you don’t need to sacrifice a human being in order to make it rain”, Barbara told him. “Barbara, no”, the Doctor tried saying again, to convince her that it was a bad idea, “Doctor my mind is made up. It’s the beginning of the end of the Sun God”, Barbara told us. “What are you talking about”, the Doctor asked angrily and confused, “Don’t you see? If I could start the destruction of everything evil here, then everything that is good will survive when Cortes lands”, Barbara told him. “You cannot rewrite history! Not one line”, the Doctor told her, “But what if you could? To make everything better”, I said, “It’s a noble goal, but nothing can be changed and I won’t allow it”, the Doctor told us. 

“The high priests are coming”, Susan called and then walked back into the room as Barbara walked away, the Doctor glanced at me, but I walked away as well. “Barbara and Acacia, I’ll give you one last appeal. What Barbara is trying to do is utterly impossible. I know, believe me, I know”, the Doctor told us with tears in his eyes, I was listening but Barbara wasn’t. “Not Barbara, Yetaxa”, she said then left the room, I frowned as she left.

“Grandfather? Grandfather what’s happening? Why can’t I see what’s going on”, Susan asked as the Doctor held his Granddaughter, “You must stay here child”, the Doctor told her. I wanted to help Barbara, but I also wanted to stay with the Doctor and Susan; fear and courage boiled inside of me. “Stay”, the Doctor pleaded and turned to look at him, “You’re still too young to see it”, he told me with old and wise eyes. To him my eyes must be awfully young and to see such violence must hurt him a great deal if Susan or I saw it. 

I decided to stay as I heard Priest Autloc yelling, but couldn’t make out what he was saying, then the High Priest Tltoxl started yelling as well. The only words I could make out was blood sacrifice and at that moment Susan ran out there and yelled, “No!”

The Doctor and I walked out to join the others as Barbara said, “There shall be no more blood spilt”, the man stood up from the stone that he laid upon and walked up to Barbara angrily. “You have denied me honor”, he told her, “Honor us with your death”, the high priest Tlotoxl told the man, who then ran off and jumped off the ledge plummeting to his death. My eyes went wide as tears rolled down my cheeks as Barbara stood stern trying to not show her true emotions, “He wanted to die”, I questioned quietly. “He showed himself and his family great honor”, Autloc told me, “He had a family”, I asked as more tears flowed down my cheeks, “But was granted great honor”, Autloc tried saying again as I held my hands together as they began to shake. Why would killing yourself give everyone around you honor, I thought upset as I closed my eyes not wanting to see the ledge where the man jumped off from. 

Then I heard thunder rumble outside, “With death came rain”, I head Tltoxl say and opened my eyes to glare at him, “Without your sacrifice came rain”, Barbara told him as Susan held on to her desperately. This statement caused the high priest to whirl around, “Does Yetaxa speak as a god or a protector of a handmaiden”, he asked Barbara angrily. “As a God”, Barbara told him, “Then let the handmaiden be punished, she cried out and desecrated sacred ground. She transgressed the law”, he yelled. 

The Doctor held Susan as she ran to her Grandfather and I stood in front of her protectively as I glared at Tlotoxl, “She did not know it”, Barbara told him. “Let knowledge be beaten into her”, Tltoxl added, which made me angry, “If you put one hand on her, I- “, I said before I was cut off when the Doctor covered my mouth just as I was about to punch the priest. This caused the priest to look at me angrily, “You talk as a warrior and as a protector for your fellow handmaiden; you dare raise your voice to me as if we are equal! I demand she be beaten as well to learn not to talk to a High Priest as such”, Tlotoxl yelled at Barbara. 

“No one shall be punished for an offence committed in ignorance”, Barbara told the priest, “Are you saying she’s feigning ignorance as well”, Tlotoxl yelled at Barbara as he pointed at me while I hid a smug expression as the Doctor lowered his hand to hug Susan. “I demand they be punished”, Tltoxl yelled again, “No”, Barbara said and then walked over to us, “Let them instead be taught respect for your customs”, she told them. “I will take them to the seminary”, the high priest Autloc told Barbara, “So be it, Autloc”, Barbara said, “The Spirit of Yetaxa has spoken”, Autloc said and then bowed towards Barbara. “No! No! This is a false goddess”, Tlotoxl yelled and then stormed out, I shook my head in anger as Autloc escorted Susan and I down the temple. “Would you really have attacked Tlotoxl”, Susan asked me as Autloc’s back was turned towards us and I nodded to her. 

I was about to walk into the building before I was grabbed, Susan and Autloc walked inside the building as Susan looked back at me with a confused expression. Glancing back angrily after I had elbowed the man, the man took off his helmet to reveal that it was Ian, “Ian! What the hell is wrong with you”, I sighed, “You scared me.” “Sorry…what’s going on”, Ian asked, “Susan and I have to be taught some manners”, I told him sarcastically and he gave me an amused expression which I did not appreciate, as I lifted my brow annoyed. “If you’re looking for the Doctor or Barbara, they’re back in the temple. Now I really think you should go, I shouldn’t keep my "teacher" waiting”, I told him, “Right, well you might want to hold off on that”, Ian told me giving me a concerned look. “Why”, I asked slowly, “Well. you’re now considered an offering… a prize”, Ian told me, “A prize for what”, I asked angrily. 

“There’s to be a competition between me and a fellow warrior…whoever wins not only leads the armies…”, Ian said and trailed off, “And what”, I asked not believing what I was hearing, “Marries you”, Ian finished. My eyes widened and then narrowed in anger, “How did this happen”, I asked, “They thought you were an offering from the gods and…marriage slipped out of my mouth in fear you would be sacrificed. They would have if I didn’t say anything”, he told me and sighed clearly upset. “I...I don’t want to be forced to married Ian”, I told him upset as my heart raced, “I’ll make sure I win”, he told me, “No…we need to make sure we get out of here before then”, I corrected before walking into the seminary with Autloc and Susan. 

Ian sighed before putting on his helmet before walking away, “What’s wrong”, Susan asked me, “Ian and another warrior are supposed to fight. Whoever wins commands the armies and…I have to marry the winner”, I told her and Autloc just smiled proudly as Susan and I looked depressed. “What a tremendous honor and I see Ian already thinks he can win as he has spoken to his future bride to be”, Autloc told me, “Okay…let’s get one thing straight, I’m not marrying anyone not today and especially not to someone I’m being forced to marry. If I marry it will be for love, not…like this”, I told him. “If you do not agree, you will have to be punished”, Autloc warned and I went silent.

Another man walked in and came right up to me, “I greet you”, he told me and bowed, I blushed and bowed as well, “I...um…greet you as well”, I told him questioningly. “I wanted to see my future wife before I won my victory, you are like sun and rain. You burn with fury and passion like the warrior and your tears fall with sadness and kindness like a maiden. The perfect bride”, he told me before walking away. I was confused and worded, “What the hell”, to Susan who replied with, “I don’t know.” After a while loud drums could be heard in the distance, and I heard the Doctor yelling, “How dare you?! How dare you?! Don’t let him scratch you Ian!”

Then I heard Tltoxl yell , “Destroy him, Ixta”, and I ran out to where I heard follow the drums, they led me towards a building where everyone had crowded around to watch the fight. I saw the man, Who I assumed was Ixta, had Ian trapped in a choke hold. “Destroy him Ixta”, Tlotoxl said again, “No”, I shouted, “I will deal with you in a moment, destroy him”, Tltoxl told me. “Yetaxa forbids it”, Autloc yelled from behind me as he walked into the room, “The false goddess forbids it, destroy him I said”, Tltoxl shouted, then he whispered something that made both he and Ixta glance over at me. Ian looked like he was about ready to pass out and I fearful for his life.


	4. Chapter 4

Ixta had Ian in a choke hold, they both looked at me as Ixta drew a dagger out and held it towards Ian’s throat; everyone was cheering and the guards wouldn’t let me through. At least until Barbara, who seemed to come out of nowhere, grabbed my hand and we both entered the armory. “Stop “, she ordered and the fight paused, everyone turned to look at Barbara as she stepped forward letting go of my hand. “Your place is in the temple”, Tlotxl told her as she approached, I glared daggers at the priest, but I kept my mouth shut. 

“I am loyal to those who serve me”, Barbara told him giving Ian a worried glance, “If you are Yetaxa…save him”, Tlotoxl said smiling cruelly. Then Barbara pulled a dagger from her dress and held it up to Tlotoxl’s throat causing his eyes to widen, “If my servant dies, so does Tlotoxl, and the marriage between you two men and my handmaiden will not happen. Now put it down”, Barbara ordered Ixta, who slowly lowered his dagger and placing it on the table. 

“I did as you commanded and now you must obey me. Those who serve me will not be punished”, she told the high priest, still holding her dagger up to his throat. “So be it”, he said, his voice strained and Barbara slowly lowered her dagger placing it back in her holster. Then the announcer told everyone that the contest had ended and that Ixta will not claim victory. 

“Attend Yetaxa’s servent”, Autloc ordered the guards who nodded and walked up to Ian to treat him, “Send the old man to the Garden until Yetaxa releases him and I’ll escort the young handmaiden back to the seminary”, Autloc said and then we left after he gave me a disapproving look. The people in the village seemed set in their ways, I thought as we walked. I watched as people passed me, some even gave me odd glances and then continued on their way. I must have looked odd here…blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin…they must have never seen someone like myself before, so it was understandable. 

As we continued walking I kept thinking…why was I brought here, what caused that bright light that brought me back in time? Why me? Not to sound cliché’, but really why? I was no one special…I was just a high school graduate…I’m not strong or brave, I quaked in fear at the sight of a dead body. Then I wondered if I could really change things or was I just here to observe?

When we entered the seminary, Susan quickly came up to me and asked if I was alright. I nodded and not too soon after Ian came in, “Acacia…we need to speak to Barbara, Susan wait here”, Ian told us, then he dragged me out, and we went up to the temple. Glancing back, I gave both Susan and Autloc an apologetic glance as she looked confused and the priest made a frustrated sigh. 

“I overheard something”, Ian said as soon as we entered the throne room walking up to Barbara, “What did you hear”, Barbara asked confused. “What’s going on”, I asked as well, “Tlotoxl and Tonila are planning something against Barbara. I’m sure of it”, he told us. “I didn’t know they were allies”, Barbara said, “I’ll watch them both. Tlotoxl’s dangerous, he seems to be able to bring people to his way of thinking.” Ian just shook his head and then said, “You’ve got it all wrong Barbara. All the people here share Tlotoxl’s views." “What about Autloc”, she told us, “Barbara…” I said annoyed, “Oh…I’m sick and tired of all this arguing and quarreling. First the Doctor, you, and now even Acacia is beginning to get annoyed with me. Why can’t you all see what I’m trying to do”, Barbara asked us getting frustrated. 

“We can”, I told her, “Well, you’re not helping. Tlotoxl’s evil and he’ll make everyone else the same”, Barbara told us. “They are the same Barbara! That’s the point”, Ian told her, which I didn’t agree with but I kept my mouth shut. “I don’t believe it”, she told him, “Barbara…if you keep going on like this they’re going to keep testing you every which way they can. Until something happens”, I told her and she went silent in thought. “Exactly and Autloc’s the extraordinary man here. He’s the reasonable one, the civilized one. But he’s one man Barbara…one man”, Ian told her.

“And everything I tried to do”, she asked, “Oh…I thought I could alter them.” “You can’t fight a whole way of life, Barbara”, Ian told her. “I suppose you’re right, but what can we do”, she asked us, “Leave in peace”, I told her as I rubbed her shoulder. 

Then we all heard footsteps coming up the temple, “Someone’s coming”, Barbara warned, both Ian and I quickly hid behind a pillar as both Tlotoxl and Tonilla walked in. Tonilla was carrying a tray that held a cup and a jug that was filled with some sort of liquid. The both bowed as Tlotoxl said, “We greet Yetaxa”, “What do you want”, she asked annoyed, “I come before Yetaxa in humility”, the high priest of sacrifice told Barbara. “Such quiet words do you credit”, she told him, “We have both spoken hot words and thought black deeds, and I must be the one to find a common ground. End this conflict…drink this draft with us, as a symbol of our new friendship, and then I shall serve you. And whatever words Yetaxa speaks, I shall echo”, Tlotoxl said. 

I couldn’t help, but take what he had said with a spoon full of salt, they’re hiding something I thought. “I am the witness”, said the man holding the tray, whom I assumed was Tonila, and he bowed toward Barbara. This looks like some weird marriage proposal, I thought, “Then I accept”, Barbara told him, “I hear your words and I rejoice”, Tlotoxl told her as he grabbed the cup to pour the drink. 

“Is he testing her again”, I whispered to Ian, “Probably”, he whispered back and we watched suspiciously as the High Priest gave Barbara the cup. As soon as the two men bowed Ian came up behind them and waved his hands to Barbara trying to remain silent. Then she glanced at me and I made a motion of slicing my throat with my finger, pretended to be dead, and then pointed at her drink. Ian quickly came back to hide behind the pillar with me as the two men straightened up, looking at Barbara confused.

“Tlotoxl, you do believe me to be Yetaxa”, she asked, “I shall proclaim you when we stand together before the people”, he told her, that doesn’t really answer her question, I thought. “Then I would have you perform one small service”, Barbara told the high priest who bowed a little before she spoke again, “For as I prove my faith in you, so you must prove yours to me.” Tlotoxl looked up at her as she sat on her throne nervously, “Tell me quickly that I may obey, and all the past be forgotten”, he said. Barbara nodded and then ordered, “Drink this”, holding the cup of to the high priest of sacrifice, “What”, he asked flabbergasted, “Drink it”, she ordered again and then offered it to Tonilla, but they both refused the drink. 

“So, this is your “friendship””, Barbara yelled and threw the cup onto the floor and it broke into pieces, “You defile this temple! Go”, she yelled and Tonila ran away as Tlotoxl tripped over his own sacrificial stone in fear of Barbara’s wrath. “I only meant to test you”, Tlotoxl told her frightened, “With poison”, she asked angrily, “Yetaxa would have lived! The gods are immortal”, he told he and she sighed. “Well, I would have died-I am not Yetaxa”, Barbara told him and I wanted to stop her from anything else, but Ian grabbed my arm and held me in place.

Tlotoxl whirled around as soon as he heard her confession and smiled in triumph, “False! False, I knew…- “, “And who’ll believe you? I warn you Tlotoxl…you say one word against me to the people and I’ll have them destroy you. You hear me, destroy you”, she yelled and Tlotoxl ran away, out of the temple. Tears ran down my cheeks as Ian left from behind the pillar to go comfort Barbara, “Don’t worry Barbara, we’ll be alright...we’ll get away from this place”, Ian told her as I slowly walked out. 

“Oh…I’m sorry you had to hear that”, Barbara said and then walked up to me to give me a hug as Ian patted my shoulder, when she yelled it was like I could feel all her anger, frustration, and betrayal rolled into one. “I’m sorry you had to go through that”, I told her.

A few hours later Tlotoxl, Tonilla, and Autloc came up the temple, as soon as they entered the room I glared at the men who almost poisoned Barbara which they noticed and started whispering to each other. I wanted to get some fresh air, so I walked past them to exit the temple and went straight to the Garden of Peace. 

Once there Cameca, the woman from before, came up to me and gave me cup that was filled with some sort of liquid. “What is this”, I asked her, “Cocoa, it brings great fortunes, happiness, and love. The Doctor told me to give this to you”, she told me as the Doctor came forward. “Yes, isn’t it spectacular”, he asked me as he took a sip of his drink and then I cautiously took a sip as well. My eyes widened in awe at how good it was, “This is really good”, I told her taking another sip, then Cameca smiled fondly which confused me. “What is it”, I asked her, “Happy engagement”, she told us and I choked, “What”, the Doctor and I exclaimed rather loudly.


	5. Chapter 5

Later Ian came to the Garden and the Doctor told us about the tunnel in the temple. Apparently Cameca and Ixta’s grandfather were lovers, and he gave her a coin that matched Yetaxa’s symbol on the wall that was outside of the temple, in the Garden. Then the Doctor told Ian how Cameca tricked us into getting engaged and Ian chuckled, “Don’t giggle my boy! Don’t forget you were engaged to her not too long ago as well”, the Doctor told him and Ian quickly shut his mouth, but still remained amused. 

“We must find the tunnel tonight, now I’ll wait for you in the garden and when Ixta is asleep, you come out”, the Doctor told him, “Yes I will, alright”, Ian told him. “Okay, well I’m going to go shop for supplies and then go back to the seminary to check on Susan”, I told them and they both nodded. Just as I was about to walk away, Ian yelled, “Oh, by the way, Acacia and Doctor”, I turned around to glance at him as he smiled, “Congratulations”, he told us amused, I just rolled my eyes, shook my head, and walked away. 

After getting some supplies for Barbara playing the part of the loyal handmaiden of Yetaxa, I went back to the seminary to find it guarded. “Susan”, I called as the guard in front of the door prevented me from going in, “Acacia”, she yelled, her voice choked up. “What happened”, I asked concerned, “I refused to marry the man who was supposed to be sacrificed and now I’m to be punished”, Susan cried. The guard still wouldn’t let me through, “Okay, I’ll be right back. I’ll come back with the others”, I told her, “Hurry”, she cried as I ran up the temple. 

I hadn’t realized how long I was gone until I heard Ian say to Barbara in the throne room, “There’s a tunnel from the Garden that leads to the tomb.” Walking up to the pair I noticed that Ian was soaking wet, “You came through it”, Barbara asked, “Yes”, he replied. 

As I was about to tell them about Susan, Ian immediately grabbed us and pulled us behind the throne. He told us he heard something, which explained his behavior just now, “Barbara”, we heard the Doctor yell as he entered the room. Barbara and I both gave Ian an amused look before we removed ourselves from behind the throne, revealing ourselves to the Doctor as we walked up to him. 

“Oh, Acacia you’re here too! I have terrible news, my dears…I don’t know how to tell you both…Ian- “, “I’m alright”, Ian said as he stood and walked up to us. “My dear boy! I thought you had drowned”, the Doctor told him happily, “I nearly was, who put the stone back”, “Ixta”, the Doctor replied. “Oh…so he followed me eh”, Ian asked, “Never mind him, how does the door work”, the Doctor asked, “I’ve got it licked! We must get Susan up here”, Ian told us.

“Oh! Susan is trapped in the seminary, because she refused to marry the man that is supposed to be sacrificed tomorrow! If we don’t get her out, she’ll she be punished”, I informed them. “Don’t worry, I’ll get here out. You lot stay here”, Ian told us, “Thank you and watch out for Ixta”, the Doctor told him. “Maybe I should go with you”, I suggested, “No, one is enough…a man and a woman found sneaking in the dead of night might draw too much attention in this village”, the Doctor told me as Ian nodded and then left. 

We waited and then it was daylight outside and Ian had still not returned, “Ian should be back soon”, I commented, “Hopefully”, the Doctor added. “I just want to get out of here”, Barbara told us as she sat down taking off her hat, “And what about history”, the Doctor asked, “Remains unchanged”, she told him. “No rewriting”, he asked her and she shook her head sadly, I got up to walk up to her and rubbed her shoulder gently. “It’s alright”, I said and she looked up at me smiling with sad eyes.

The Doctor then got up to pull on the rope that was attached to the door that led into the tomb on the other side. Barbara and I got up to help him as well, the Doctor said that to get the door open we would have to get a pully. Since the wheel hadn’t been invented yet, he said he would have to make one. 

“Grandfather”, we heard Susan yell from behind us, we turned around to see her run up to the Doctor and gave her a hug, “My dear Susan”, the Doctor said hugging her back, “I’m glad…well I’ll tell how glad I am to see you later. Come on”, the Doctor said as he, Ian, and Barbara grabbed the rope as Susan and I grabbed hold of the door as well tried to force the door open. Suddenly the rope broke and we all groaned, “Guess it wasn’t going to be that easy was it”, I asked, “We had to try”, the Doctor told me and I nodded, “Maybe…we can try again”, I asked, “Yes…and this time with a wheel”, the Doctor told me. “I can always try the stone back at the Garden again”, Ian told us, “Right”, Doctor said as he sat down to take a breath.

“I’ll need someone to stay on watch”, Ian told us and Susan immediately volunteered herself, “No”, Barbara exclaimed, “Yes! If Susan and I do it, we can let you in on the other side of the tomb”, Ian told us. “But what if she gets caught again”, I asked, “Exactly, she is in more danger out there then in here”, Barbara told him, which made Susan sigh. “Okay…then I vote for Acacia to go”, Susan said and my eyes widened as I felt the air shift, the Doctor seemed to notice it as well. “Well...alright”, I said hesitating. 

“Come on”, Ian told me as we left the temple, he led us to the Garden straight to the wall that had Yetaxa’s symbol and told me to hide behind a bush. “Right, I’ll signal you if I see anyone” I told him, “Alright”, he said as I hid. I watched as he walked up to the symbol and began to shift the tablet side to side, must have been heavier then it looked I thought. 

Then I saw something at the corner of my eye and went closer to it to see what it was, it was Autloc! He lied unconscious on the ground, “Ian”, I whispered loudly and he came running. “What happened”, he asked as he saw Autloc as well, “I found him like this, looks like someone knocked him out”, I told him, noticing the club right next to Autloc as Ian picked it up to examine. 

“This is a trap! This is mine! Ixta gave it to me! Let’s get out of here”, Ian told me as we stood, but as soon as we did a couple of guards grabbed us. “This belongs to you”, one of the guards asked snatching the club away from Ian, showing it to him. “Yes! I gave it to him”, I heard Ixta say as he approached. “Ian was helping this handmaiden to escape. He struck you from behind”, Ixta told Autloc as he helped him up and Autloc gave me a look of complete betrayal. 

“Escape? Why would I have a reason to escape”, I asked upset and confused, then Ixta’s eyes widened as he heard my voice and looked at me as if noticing for the first time I was there. “To avoid marriage between Ian and I”, Ixta told me and I scoffed, “That’s ridiculous…Yetaxa forbid it”, I told him and this time Ixta smiled evilly. “Yes, but the matchmaker agreed to have it continued and no one can deny the matchmaker”, Ixta told me and I knew he was lying through his teeth, but unfortunately for me Autloc believed every word. 

My breathing quickened, “As you can see, she shows signs of being distressed”, Ixta told Autloc, which caused every man to turn and look at me. My face reddened in anger and embarrassment, “That club belongs to Ian, take them away”, Ixta ordered, “You are servants of a false goddess”, Autloc told us and then left as the guards escorted us away. 

We were led and guarded in the armory, Ian and I watched as the ritual began, “May your sacrifice bring pleasure to the gods and peace to our lands”, Tonila said to the man who was to be sacrificed, “I thank Tonila for his many gratitude’s”, the man told him. “I have come to escort you, as you walk before the people to your destiny”, Tonilla told him and I glowered. With knitted brows, I asked, “What’s going to happen to us”, to which Tonila replied, “You shall be punished before the perfect victim finds his heaven”, Tonila told me.

“I, Ixta the chosen warrior, shall proudly lead you to your glory”, Ixta told the man while he was standing too close to me. I backed up from him and ended up bumping into Ian, I apologized quickly, but regretted it as soon as Ixta turned his attention towards me. “Then I shall be back for my bride. In honor to you”, Ixta told the man, gloating and bowed to him while doing so. “And I accept”, the man told Ixta. I glaring daggers at Ixta, “I will never marry you”, I hissed and Ixta just grinned. 

“When we reach the temple, bring them on”, Ixta told Tonila and then he turned towards Ian, “We shall have one more meeting Ian”, he said glancing between Ian and I. “Yes…a final one”, Ian told me and glanced at me worried as Ixta chuckled and walked away. Both Ian and I sat on the table and waited to be escorted, we couldn’t leave since we were being guarded and he was watching us like a hawk. 

Then Cameca walked in and the guard bowed to her, “I greet you Cameca”, he told her, “Do you know of this ornament”, she asked the guard showing him an amulet; the amulet was gold and blue with white pearls. The guard nodded, “Autloc desires that it shall be yours. It is the title to his dwelling andall of his possessions”, she told him. “Give it to me”, the guard ordered holding out his hand, “You must earn it”, she told him, pulling it out of his grasp. “How”, he asked, “Send away the warriors outside”, she told him and he did as was instructed. 

Both Ian and I stood as Cameca quickly walked over to us, ”What are you doing”, Ian whispered, “I’ve come to help you, it is important that we…” Cameca paused as the guard returned, once again holding out his hand for the amulet. “As I give you this, so shall you close your eyes. Autloc desires that the handmaiden leaves here with me”, she told the man, who was now hesitating, “There is position and honor in this ornament”, she told the guard as he turned around so that his back was facing her. 

Then Ian came up behind the man and did a quick chop to the neck, the guard then passed out on the ground. Cameca blinked at Ian in surprise, “Well, somebody had to make up his mind for him”, Ian told her, “You’ll get no complaints from me”, I commented. 

As Ian chuckled, Cameca placed the amulet down on the guard and then grabbed my arm, “Come quickly, Acacia must go to the temple with me”, she told Ian. “But what about Ian”, I asked and glanced back at the man, “Go on Acaica”, he told me and I gave him a confused look as Cameca pulled me away. Quickly Cameca took me to the temple, on the way I told her what had happened thus far and she told me not to worry. That everything would work itself out and something told me she wasn’t just talking about my suitors…


	6. Chapter 6

As Cameca and I walked into the throne room, I saw the Doctor messing with a wooden wheel that I assumed he had made as he wrapped the rope around it. Susan glanced at me and smiled, “Acacia”, she exclaimed and the Doctor looked up, “Ah! Acacia my dear girl! You’re safe”, he said happily. “Yeah…” I said and looked down guiltily, they glanced at me confused and I shook my head, “Sorry…so is that the pulley”, I asked walking up to the Doctor. “Yes! I shall have it working in no time”, he told me as Susan left to go check on Barbara. 

Cameca came up beside me and bowed lightly to the Doctor as she said, “I honor the Doctor, I bring Acacia back to you”, “That was a very brave thing to do, Cameca. But you can’t stay here”, the Doctor told her. “I thought that I might stay by your side, to see the two of you wed”, Cameca said as she glanced at the two of us, my cheeks blushed a light pink as we stared wide eyed at her.

The Doctor and I stayed silent, I didn’t know what to say and by the look of it neither did the Doctor; finally, she sighed, “Goodbye”, she told us and walked away. I watched as she left as the Doctor turned away, “You didn’t say goodbye”, I commented, “Neither did you”, he pointed out, “Come on let’s get this pulley finished”, the Doctor told me, I nodded as I turned towards him, helping with the pulley and the rope. 

After a while the guards from before came up the temple; the Doctor, Susan, and I hid behind the throne. We watched as they escorted Barbara outside of the temple, then Tlotoxl ran up yelling, “False Goddess! You have betrayed us!” Then I heard Ian yell, “Run Barbara”, she then ran towards us as we began to use the pulley too open the door to the tomb. “Ixta! Ixta”, we heard Tlotoxl yell as the guards ran away, Ian guarded the entrance to the throne room as we worked on pulling the rope to open the door.

I glanced back to see the two men fighting each other, both had equal amounts of armor and weapons; after a while of fighting they threw their weapons away to fight with brute force, Ixta pushed Ian to the ground and was about to make the final blow. For a moment, I got scared and screamed, “Ian”, then he promptly placed the bottom of his foot on Ixta’s stomach and pushed him off which caused the man to fall over the ledge of the temple. 

I heard screams outside of the temple as Ixta fell and I turned sharply away shutting my eyes tightly, “Back to the task at hand, my dear”, the Doctor told me and I nodded as we continued pulling on the rope to get the door open.

As the door slowly opened, Ian came running up to us saying, “It’s opening”, exclaiming happily and I shook my head, and I almost smiled as Ian stated the obvious, but didn’t since Ixta’s death weighed on my mind. Even if he was cruel he was still a man…am I supposed to be okay about someone dying? 

Once there was enough room for all of us to fit through, we all rushed in as Tlotoxl and the guards came running into the throne room. Luckily the door was shut before he could reach it, Barbara sighed and placed Yetaxa’s braclet back where it came from, back on his skeleton as Ian and Susan went into the Tardis.

“We failed”, she exclaimed, “Yes, we had to”, the Doctor told her, “What is the point of traveling in time, if you can’t change anything”, she asked, I glanced at her noticing she was talking to both the Doctor and I. The Doctor glanced at me before looking back at Barbara, “Tlotoxl won and the man I trusted…I deceived…he lost his faith”, she said sadly. “He found a new one, a better one”, the Doctor said and then walked up to her, “That’s the good you’ve done, you failed to save a civilization, but at least you helped one man”, the Doctor told her and then patted her shoulder comfortingly. 

I smiled as Barbara walked into the Tardis and soon followed after her after taking one last look around the tomb, then I stopped to glance back at the Doctor as he placed the coin Cameca had given him next to the skeleton of Yetaxa. “Coming Doctor”, I asked, “Yes, yes…and goodbye”, the Doctor told me as I walked into the Tardis confused. Suddenly there was a bright light that flashed before my eyes and I quickly shut them as my body felt like it was being pulled forward through the air. 

Then I felt my feet land on solid ground before I had slipped sideways as the gravity inside of the Tardis changed, I was falling until someone had grabbed my hand before I landed on the wall. “Ah, Acacia! Good to see you…you’ve appeared at an awkward time…the Tardis…seemed to have landed on its side”, I heard a stranger’s, the one who kept me from falling, voice say. 

Before I could look at him, he threw a coat over my head, “Put that on, once we get outside. Come on, up we go”, the strange man told me as he pulled me up, then he grabbed me by the waist to hoist me up even further. “Try to push onto the Tardis’s doors”, he told me and I pushed forward, my mind confused as to what gravity of the situation we were facing. “Up! Up! The doors are above your head! Here”, he told me and held me up even higher.

I couldn’t see anything, but the top of my head had bumped into…something? Doing as was instructed I lifted my hands in an awkward position and pushed up, looking up I saw the opening of the Tardis. “It’s opened”, I called looking below me and then quickly looking back up getting dizzy, I shook my head. “Remind me not to do that again”, I said. “Will do”, the man below me said in amusement. “Ah”, another man yelled, “What’s wrong”, asked the man that was holding me up, “Do you have to stand on my head”, the other man complained as I climbed out. 

I shivered, it was freezing, very quickly I slipped my coat on and turned around to see that the Tardis had fallen on its side. In the doorway was a man who looked at me awkwardly, “Are you going to help me out”, he asked, “Sooner rather than later”, called the other man inside of the Tardis. “Right”, I nodded then pulled him up and out, I found it a little difficult since I was small. After that we both reached into the Tardis pulling out a man and a woman, who both looked around the same age as me, if a little older. 

The strange man closed the Tardis’s doors as both the man and the woman stared at me, “Sorry it was a blind landing”, the strange man said walking up to the three of us. I glanced at all three of them, they were all strangers…had the Doctor changed? Who was the Doctor? “Doctor”, I asked looking at all three of them, “Hm”, said the man who grabbed me from inside of the Tardis. “You’ve…changed”, I stated as I looked at him, “You say that like it’s a bad thing”, he told me and I shook my head, “No…I didn’t...I, um”, I said a little disoriented as I looked around. 

“Are you alright”, the woman asked me, “Yeah, I’m fine. Change of gravity must of made me dizzy”, I said rubbing my forehead as I glanced at them both in question. “Oh! Sorry Acacia, this is Victoria and Jaimie”, the Doctor introduced and I smiled awkwardly as I shook their hands. “Nice to meet you”, Victoria said to me as both men whispered to each other.

“Likewise”, I told her and she smiled confused, “You’re...polite”, she told me surprised, it was my turn to give her a confused look as she walked away. “Oh! Look at this big wall of ice”, Victoria exclaimed, “It’s so smooth”, Jaimie commented and I shook my head, “You guys act like you’ve never seen glass before”, I told them and they both turned to look at me. 

“Yes…it’s a dome, a protective dome”, the Doctor told us, “So big...can’t see the end of it…I wander what’s inside”, Victoria asked, then an alarm went off and the Doctor pulled us all behind the Tardis, ducking down behind it as we hid. We watched as a bearded man with long hair walked out of the dome with another man who was holding…something?

“Don’t worry, those alarms weren’t meant for us. I wonder what’s wrong though”, said the other man who was holding…whatever it was, “Ack, that’s their problem. Come on”, said the bearded man, then they both ran away. 

The four of us stood as soon as the men were gone, “Doctor”, I asked and he turned to look at me, “Where are Ian, Barbara, and Susan…I know this is probably an awkward time to-“, “Gone…their just…gone and that’s all I’m going to say”, he told me as he walked up to the door where the men from before walked out. 

I glanced at both Victoria and Jaimie, who both shrugged, then walked up to the Doctor as he placed his hand on the touch pad and the door opened. Walking up to them, we all looked cautiously inside before wondering in after which the door closed behind us. Looking back at the door, I glared, as I remembered the door back at the Aztec temple. Then I heard the Doctor chuckle and say, “Just like old times, eh”, he told me before we ventured further in. 

Victoria, Jaimie, and the Doctor peeked around a corner after we had entered one of the buildings, “You guys secret agents or something”, I asked amused and the Doctor shushed me making me raise a brown at him. Both Jaimie and Victoria chuckled as the stood and we continued walking, “Oh, Doctor it’s just like my home”, Victoria exclaimed, “I know”, the Doctor told her. 

Just then we heard an alarm go off again as the intercom on the wall said, “Red state emergency. Evacuation phase three. Phase three evacuate. Transport section leaders report now. Phase three evacuation”, when it was done, the alarm went off and so did the intercom. 

“Seems like there’s danger ahead”, I said stating the obvious, “It seems safe now”, Victoria told me. Then a woman, who seemed to come out of nowhere, came up to us and started putting pins on all our shirts. “Oh…thank you”, the Doctor said confused, “Thank you. Excuse me, Miss…I’m Jaimie McCrimmon, do you think you can tell us where we are”, Jaimie asked the woman as she placed a pin on his shirt. 

When she was done giving us all our pins she quickly walked away, “She doesn’t want to know Jaimie”, the Doctor told him, “Hey this says we’re on flight seven”, Victoria said, looking at her pin. She wanted us to leave, I wondered, “Yes, rather inhospitable, we’ve only just arrived”, the Doctor shouted down the hall to the woman. “Maybe there’s a reason everyone is being evacuated”, I asked them, “Then let’s find out”, the Doctor told me smiling and I gave him a confused look.

“Hey…and this tag, it says I’m a scavenger”, Jaimie told the Doctor upset and looked at his as well, “And yours does too! Hey, we’re not beggars”, Jaimie shouted at the woman who was already gone. “Hush, Jaimie”, the Doctor told him as he placed his head against the wall and listened. I was looking at the Doctor even more confused than I was before, “What is it Doctor”, Victoria asked, “Sounds like electric machinery, like a computer. There’s something wrong with its pitch”, the Doctor told us.

“It’s pitch”, I asked, “Sshh…I’m trying to listen”, he told me, “Oh no…it might be dangerous, now let’s leave it”, Victoria told us to which the Doctor gave her a firm, “No.” “Let’s go in”, he finally said as he stood to look at us, “I’m kinda curious myself”, I admitted, “See? Let’s go in”, the Doctor said. Before the Doctor opened the door to a room, Victoria said, “When is listening to her a good idea? I swear you both act like children”, she told us. “What is wrong with acting young”, he asked her before opening the doors and we all walked in. This Doctor was very different compared to the last one, I thought to myself…but what the hell was going on…why was I time jumping?


	7. Chapter 7

Inside of the room, we saw a group of scientist scattered across the room with a big computer that sat right in the middle as did other small monitors, buttons, and switches that were scattered along the lower part of the wall. The room was silver from all the technology built into it, but some of the original wooden structure leaked through like the ceiling and parts of the wall. 

Some of the scientists walked around frantically both the Doctor and I noticed, “Oh…something is very wrong here”, the Doctor told us, as a man who seemed to be the head scientist walked around to check the diagnostics on the monitors. Which all pointed out to be very bad as he gave us concerned looks, before finally grabbing the head scientist, “Who the blazes are you? Get these scavengers out of here”, said the head scientist, the one that the Doctor was dragging around. 

I scoffed, “Do we look like scavengers to you”, I asked hotly, “By your accent, I’d say you were American…how on Earth did you get here”, the man asked me. His statement took me by surprise, “Well…um…that’s, uh… a long story”, I finally said awkwardly. “Doesn’t matter…get these scavengers out of here”, the head scientist ordered and guards came in to drag us out, “We’re not scavengers”, both the Doctor and I shouted, I managed to slip out of the guards grasp and the Doctor pulled away from them to walk up to the head scientist. 

“No! In two minutes and thirty-eight seconds you’re going to have an explosion! The readings say so”, the Doctor yelled at the man and my eyes widened at what the Doctor had just said. “Well, how could you possibly know that, I haven’t even…I haven’t even processed them through the computer yet”, the head scientist told him, not believing what he was hearing. “You need to trust him, he knows what he’s talking about”, I told the head scientist, who gave me an annoyed glance. 

“I don’t need to listen to anything, especially words from a young girl”, the head scientist told me and I was taken aback, he turned away from me and I grew in anger. “You should learn to listen to her as well as me when I say I don’t need a computer”, the Doctor told him. 

“If he’s right it’s already too late”, cried a female scientist, “No, it isn’t! It doesn’t have to happen, if you’ll excuse me”, the Doctor yelled and then ran around the room to all the different monitors. First he pressed a couple of buttons and told a scientist to shut down the reactor, “There’s insufficient power for that”, a female scientist told the Doctor, “Well a quick short burst then from the reactor, now”, ordered the Doctor. 

I went over to the female scientist to give her my support, “Off”, said the Doctor as she turned a knob, “Now link the circuit, with the reactor link”, the Doctor told her and she pointed to a couple of switches on the console as she said, “Those switches there”, she told me and I nodded before flicking them. 

After that she gave me a concerned glance, “Are you alright”, she asked me, “Yeah, why”, I asked looking at her, “Your nose”, was all she said, before I lifted my hand to my face and felt something wet. Looking at my fingers I saw that they were red. The Doctor came over as the female scientist gave me a napkin, I turned around and wiped my nose, pretending to blow it. There was no trash can around so I had to stuff the napkin in my pocket. 

“Yes, yes that should hold it steady…it’s…it’s not perfect mind you. You ought to get an expert in , you know”, the Doctor told the man, walking up to him. “How did you know…it was all bluff, wasn’t it, that two minutes and thirty-eight seconds to danger”, the head scientist speculated. “Oh, no it was near enough, give or take a second”, the Doctor told him to which the head scientist replied with, “Rubbish.”

I narrowed my eyes and placed my hands on my hips, then the Doctor held up his hand and lowered it back to his side. A gesture, I could only assume that he knew I was about to say something, “Check your precious computer then”, the Doctor told the head scientist and my brows raised in surprise. I smiled amused and watched as the head scientist handed his clipboard over to a female scientist. 

She walked over to the middle console which was attached to the large computer and read out loud what it said on the clipboard to which the computer replied with, “Immediate emergency. In two minutes and thirty-seven seconds, the reactor will explode”, the computer said. “Well a second out. We can’t all be perfect”, the Doctor told them, I crossed my arms and chuckled as the scientists gave the Doctor baffled looks. 

However, it was stopped short when the female scientist said, “We’re at half power now, Leader Clent”, “Why even Penley couldn’t have done better. Where on Earth did you spring from”, the head scientist, Clent, asked the Doctor. “So this…computer-robot-thing…what does it do exactly”, I asked the female scientist, “It reads number sequences and tells us the best course of action”, she told me, “What? You mean to tell me that’s all it does? Reads numbers”, I asked her.

“Negative: I talk as well, give advice, and instruction”, the computer told me, “You mean the scientists can’t do it on their own”, I asked the computer, “A computer is more precise”, it told me. “H-how did you do that”, the female asked me shocked and I looked at her confused before my eyes widened as I stepped back from the computer realizing what I had just done. I spoke to the computer…

Then Clent began to faint and everyone gathered around him, I was glad he attention was off me, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, no, no, no. It’s nothing…. just, um-“, “It’s just an emergency and a ten hour duty spell”, a female scientist told him annoyed and worried, “You need the vibro-chair”, she told him. “Yes, you’re right. Um, contact medic-control center the moment there’s any further-we’ll talk some time, come with me”, Clent said rubbing his forehead as the female scientist escorted him the medical center.

“Guess we’ll follow him”, the Doctor said as we followed them out, “Ask him where we are”, Jaimie told us as we exited as we all left and followed the scientists out of the room. 

The female scientist laid Clento down on the “vibro-chair”, it was some sort of vibration machine, that had special mechanics and needles. The machine massaged as well as put liquid into the joints that was bothering you, I lifted my brow at the machine and then looked at Clent as he said, “Now, I’ll have proof of your qualifications”, Clent told the Doctor and I sighed annoyed. 

“Is it really so hard to believe that he does”, I asked Clent, “It does when it happens to be a scavenger that came in here from the wilderness, American”, the man told me as I rubbed my temples, this man was grating on my nerves I thought annoyed. 

“Look aren’t we wasting time? If you want our help, why not tell us all about it”, the Doctor asked the man, “All about it? All about what? Where have you been all these years”, Clent asked the Doctor. The Doctor looked back at me and I shrugged, before he answered his question, “Well…er, as a matter of fact…we’ve…we’ve been on retreat. In…Tibet. We’re sanctifiers”, the Doctor told the man and I cringed at his obvious lie. 

“Oh, I see. In Tibet…well if you’ll take a simple test, I’ll soon know you’re up to our scientific standards”, Clent told the Doctor. “I see…and er…if I fail”, the Doctor asked, “You’ll be evacuated with the other scavengers in due course”, the man said amused. “Oh? Where to”, the Doctor asked, “The African rehabitation centers of course”, I blinked confused, “Oh no”, said Victoria, “What’s wrong with Africa”, I asked arms crossed. “It’s a desert”, Victoria told me, “So”, I asked knitting my brows, “I suppose you think we’d be alarmed by this”, I asked the man, my anger slowly rising again. 

“Really? You’ll be living amongst wild animals, have to make your own food, create your own shelter, and live among savages”, Clent told me and my face turned a bright shade of red. “Excuse me”, I said hotly, then I rolled up my leaves and walked up to him and was about to punch him, before the Jaimie grabbed my arm. I glanced back at the man angrily as Clent glanced over at the Doctor for support, “Don’t look at me, you’re the one who said it”, the Doctor told him, straightening his bow tie. 

“I shall take your test now”, the Doctor told him and the man rolled his eyes, before he growled, “Very well, I present to you a problem: All major continents are threatened with destruction, under glaciers of the second ice age. How would you halt the ice surge, and turn the climate back to normal? Forty-five seconds starting now”, Clent told the Doctor. First the Doctor gave a long string of theories on how the second ice age came to be, so that he could give a clearer answer to his question. It was a while before he asked if the Carbon Dioxide was the problem, the timer had dropped significantly then the Doctor answered with, “I would use ionization”, the Doctor finally answered, with only seconds to spare.

“Well? Is he right”, Jaimie asked, “Yes, yes he is”, said Clent as he stood, using his cane for support as he explained to the Doctor how they no longer needed that many plants since they were making their own food now. “So…you got rid of them”, I asked Clent, “Well, it’s not like we needed them…we were getting over populated. Hence why we started making our own foods and we needed more room, more for people to live on. We were running out and Earth became over crowded, what was the use of plants then, if we didn’t have room and no longer needed them for food”, he asked me.

I stared at the man wide eyed, “Um, let me see…oxygen for one and you know agriculture, multiple animals actually live around these so-called plants that you just don’t give a damn about”, I told him angrily and the man just remained silent. “Are you alright”, Victoria asked as she came up to me, pulling me away from the man, “I’m fine”, I snapped pulling away from her grasp and she flinched, “Sorry", I told her "…I’m just…tired”, I said and rubbed my forehead.

I sighed and asked, “So we met before this…but was I different”, she nodded, “Yes, um…” Victoria said and then pointed to her face and just as she was about to say something, Jaimie pulled her away. “Stop”, he told her, “She deserves to know”, Victoria told him, “No”, he said, “Um”, I said grabbing their attention, “Tell me what”, I asked curiously. “Are you quite finished”, the Doctor asked walking up to us and then dragged me away, “No telling of secret future events”, he told them, “Secret”, I asked him and he hushed me. There was something they were hiding and…something was happening to me….what it was I had no idea, but…it worried me.


	8. Chapter 8

The Doctor pulled me away from Victoria and Jaimie so that I didn’t get the answers I wanted, but something was happening to me…and I wanted to know what. “What about the ionizer”, the Doctor asked Clent after having letting go of my arm, “Um, Miss Garrett”, Clent said pointing to the female scientist. “Ionizing is a method of intensifying the sun’s heat onto the Earth, but only to particular areas”, Miss Garett explained, “Yeah, it’s like a magnifying glass”, the Doctor stated. 

“You mean you can melt glaciers? Change the weather”, Victoria asked, “In certain areas and very carefully”, I told her and she nodded. “Um, when certain difficulties are overcome”, Clent said. “Precise control is not easy”, Miss Garret told us, so basically if they’re not careful they could roast us all, I thought grimly. “We can’t afford to make mistakes. Ionization can produce temperatures intense enough to melt rock”, Clent told us all. “Yeah, but such a procedure can have high risk of failure or worse can harm those in the line of fire”, I told them, “Yes, but we’re taking every precaution”, Miss Garrett told me. 

“Only by maintaining a perfect balance can we prevent wide spread flooding or fires”, Miss Garret added. “Can’t computers solve the problem of control”, the Doctor asked. “Of course they can”, Miss Garrett told him and then paused as she put numbers into the computer that sat in the middle of the room. “Well”, the Doctor asked waiting for her to answer, “When the input is complete they will give us a solution”, she told him. “So you're waiting-“, “Oh I see and how long will that be”, the Doctor asked cutting me off and I sighed, “Soon, Doctor, soon”, she told him. 

Then they showed the Doctor the ice glaciers taking over the continents on a computer screen, everywhere there was ice…this really was like a second ice age... Then Clent offered a temporary job to the Doctor to help them with the ice age problem...and hesitantly accepted humbly. Miss Garrett was to help him with the computers and she set up one for the Doctor to work on. 

“Every decision is checked, to eliminate the risk of failure. Because, of course, all decisions and all actions, must conform to the common good”, Miss Garrett told the Doctor as he and I gave her a concerned look. 

Later a couple of men came into the room with rolling table holding a large pack of ice, I looked at them and it questioningly. “Is this…your full co-operation, Arden? How do you expect to carry this out…good heavens”, Clent said as soon as he saw what the men had brought in. The ice itself looked like it had a large man within it, “Yes. I thought you’d be impressed Clent. Right chaps, let’s have him over here”, Arden said, pushing the table to the far wall.

Everyone quickly went over to examine the large block of ice, “What is it”, Victoria asked, “I saw what looked to be a man inside”, I told her as the Doctor and Jaimie came over to examine it as well. “It looks like a Viking warrior, look at the helmet”, Clent commented standing next to the Doctor. “Frozen for centuries in the ice, perfectly preserved. Hm...that’s odd though”, the Doctor said, examining it even closer. 

“What? Who are you”, the man, who brought the large pack of ice in, asked, “He’s an addition to our staff-“, “What’s wrong Doctor”, I asked cutting Clent off. “Well, the helmet…that’s what is wrong. When the man was frozen to death…only cavemen existed”, the Doctor explained, “Well that’s…weird”, I commented, “Very”, the Doctor agreed. 

“Well, I say it’s an undiscovered civilization. Think of the implications”, Arden told Clent, the head scientist, proudly. I sighed at the man, “Well, whatever the implications, it must still take second place to our ionizer project. We have our daily planning conference in three minutes fifteen seconds exactly”, Clent told Arden, before walking away. 

“Come along Arden! Play with your toy after the meeting”, Clent told him, then Arden followed him out of the room. “What’s supposed to happen, Doctor”, Jaimie asked. “You see this fellow Arden has set the electricity so that the ice melt very slowly, allowing resistance”, the Doctor explained to him. “It’s working quite quickly”, Victoria commented, “What if it turns out to be something we thought it wasn’t”, I asked, “Then we’ll have a big problem”, the Doctor told me and then narrowed his eyes at the frozen man.

“I think there is some impurities in the ice”, the Doctor told us as the ice was melting very quickly; then he noticed something and went closer examining the frozen man. “I say…look at that”, he commented, “What is it” I asked, “An electric connection… I’m sure of it”, the Doctor told us. “It can’t be”, Victoria said quietly, “Now you wait here, and…don’t touch anything”, the Doctor said as he pulled the three of back away from the frozen man. 

“Acacia, come with me”, the Doctor said as he grabbed my hand and we left the room, “Wait…what”, I said as I was dragged away. We ran back into the laboratory to interrupt the scientists in the middle of their meeting to tell them that the frozen man they had brought in was actually a giant alien. 

Of course, they didn’t believe the Doctor at first, even I could hardly believe it myself…a giant alien? That is until we all heard a scream come from the other room; the scientists, Doctor, and I ran back to the medical center to find that the ice had completely melted and the frozen man was gone taking Victoria with it. 

Jaimie was knocked out on the floor, when we quickly went up to him and asked what had happened he told us he could hardly remember. All he remembers was being knocked out after having tried to protect Victoria.

We searched the entire building and the village outside, but there were no signs of Victoria or the robot. After having spent hours outside we regrouped back inside the laboratory.

Suddenly the big monitor turned on with Victoria’s face on it…she was crying, after many tears and comfort from the Doctor we were all glad that she was okay. She explained to us that she went with the ice warriors willingly, but then tried to run away until they captured her again. 

“Where do the ice warriors come from”, the Doctor asked, “Er…they come from…Mars”, she told him. “That’s not important. Have you seen a propulsion unit of the spacecraft girl”, Clent asked, “She’s probably under a lot of stress, it doesn’t help to shout at her”, I said angrily, “What? Like you haven’t before”, he glared at me as I glared back.

“Oh, propulsion unit”, Victoria asked, “The engines”, Clent explained, “Oh yes. They’re preparing them now”, Victoria told him. “What kind are they? It’s vitally important”, he told her, “Oh, I…I Have no idea”, she exclaimed. “Well, reactor turbine? Ion jet? Anti-gravity? Think girl, think”, Clent yelled, “Stop it! You’re making her feel stupid”, I told the head scientist glaring, then my brows knitted together in confusion…how could I possibly know that? 

Just as I thought that, Clent asked me the very same thing in anger as Victoria was silent, “Can you describe them to us, Victoria dear”, the Doctor asked calmly and I sighed turning towards the screen. “Yes...I think so”, she told the Doctor as her voice shook. “Well, hurry girl”, Clent shouted, “Stop yelling at her”, I growled. “Look, it isn’t easy…I need time to think…” Victoria said as the screen faded away.

“Victoria? Victoria, what’s happened? Are you alright? Answer me”, the Doctor asked worried, “Victoria”, I called as I fiddled with my hands; I felt fear, but…it wasn’t my own. What’s happening to me I thought as I felt my head grow a little heavier and I was developing a slight headache. 

Then the screen appeared again and we saw Victoria’s face and sighed in relief, “I’m alright…it’s the glacier, it’s moving all the time”, she told us. “You’re not hurt”, the Doctor asked and she shook her head, then I sighed in relief. “Okay, good”, I commented smiling a bit, “The engines, tell us about the engines”, Clent yelled desperately, “Maybe she could remember if you stopped yelling”, I told him angrily. 

We turned our attention to the screen as Victoria shook her head and cried trying to remember, the she looked up and quaked in fear, “There’s someone coming”, she told us frightened. “Can you see the base from there”, the Doctor asked quickly. She looked away and then back at us shaking her head yes as she said, “Yes, yes I can”, “Do you think you can get back to it”, the Doctor asked her as I looked at my hands and noticed they were shaking, then I clenched them into fists to make them stop as I lowered them to my sides. 

“I can give it a try”, she told him, “We’ll get I contact with you as soon as we can, good luck”, the Doctor told her and then the screen faded again. After that I became incredibly dizzy and the Doctor was quick to grab me before I fell to the floor, then he gently placed me down on a chair. The head scientist asked the Doctor what was going on with me, but the Doctor told him he couldn’t say…but it was getting stronger as he pulled the napkin out of my pocket, the one that I hid.

“You think I wouldn’t have notice”, he asked as he showed me the napkin, “I hoped you wouldn’t…I didn’t want to worry anyone”, I told him sleepily, then he sighed and stood. “So...is this an automatic chemical dispenser”, the Doctor asked Clent walking away and towards a machine. “Yes”, Miss Garrett told him, “How does it work”, the Doctor asked her, “Well, you choose a category of the article that you want by…er…indicating it on one of this chops here”, the head scientist explained to him, walking up to the machinery. 

I watched the machine spin curiously, “Jolly good and…now you dial the precise chemical formula that you want there”, Clent told him pointing towards a couple of knobs. “May I? There’s a couple of things I need desperately”, the Doctor asked him, “What is that”, the other man asked, “A couple of bottles of water”, the Doctor told him and doing as they instructed, taking the bottles of water out before walking up to me and handing me one. “Thank you”, I said before peeling of the plastic lid, “Cheers”, the Doctor said as we drank our water. 

“Ah, that’s better…now then, let’s see…Jaimie has vanished, Victoria’s on her way back to the base, and Acacia is getting sick. Neither of them can help us with our main problem. An exact description of the spacecraft’s propulsion unit”, the Doctor told us, before going back to the dispenser machine and pulling something out of it. 

“That will”, Miss Garrett questioned pointing at the bottle the Doctor now held in his hand, “I will”, the Doctor corrected, “With the help of ammonium sulfide”, the head scientist asked amused. 

“We know these creatures come from mars, don’t we? What do we know about the planet’s atmospheric conditions”, the Doctor asked walking over to my chair. “There’s no oxygen, just mostly nitrogen”, I said confused, “Then they’re not going to enjoy this little concoction much, are they”, he told us. “What? You mean you plan to use it as a kind of toxic gas”, Clent asked him. “Well, if I’m going to an alien spaceship it may come in handy”, the Doctor told him.

“Doctor”, I said trying to stand, before he sat me back down, “Now don’t be ridiculous. We’ve lost Arden already”, the head scientist told the Doctor, “Arden fell into a trap. I know what to expect”, the Doctor told the man. “I refuse to allow you to go”, Clent told him, “Splendid! You go instead then”, the Doctor said annoyed, holding out the bottle towards the man. 

“No one can be spared! Least of all Leader Clent”, Miss Garrett told him, “I can be spared. I’ve done all I can here. The ionizer will work without me”, the Doctor told them, “I’ll start getting ready then”, Miss Garrett said going back to work on the computers. “But if anything goes wrong with the countdown…I think the one to be spared is the sickly girl! She has done nothing to aid us thus far- “, “No”, the Doctor yelled, which caught us all off guard. 

“She needs care and you’ll manage without me”, the Doctor said calmly, “No”, the head scientist said firmly, “It’s as simple as this: someone has to get to the spacecraft, find out what sort of propulsion unit it has, and bring the information back to you or we can’t use the ionizer! Now who better then me”, the Doctor told him. 

“I’ve come to regard you as Penley’s replacement, and…alright, alright! But, it’s strictly under protest”, Clent told him, “Thank you”, the Doctor said, “I’ll send over the information on this little communicator, so you’ll be able to hear everything I or they say…if it comes to that”, then he started putting on his coat. “You mean you’re going to allow them to take you prisoner”, Miss Garrett asked and the Doctor gave her a look. “But they’re armed, you need other means to protect yourself”, Clent added. To which the Doctor said, "I don’t need weapons, I have this”, the Doctor said showing the bottle he held in his hand. 

“No…I’m not allowing you to go in alone”, I said trying to stand, before the Doctor sat me back down again, “You need to rest and I’m not letting you go while you’re sick, I’ll check up on you when I get back”, the Doctor told me before patting my shoulder, then he left. 

Miss Garrett then escorted me to the medical center, then laid me down on one of the beds to get some sleep. After she left, I thought about the possibilities of what might have been happening to me…could I be having some after effects of time travel? It’s not like I’ve been traveling by normal means, like by a Tardis…my head was getting heavier…nose bleeds…

Now was not the time to worry about myself, I must help the others…I snuck out of the medical center and made it towards the door of the computer room and eavesdrop. Over a radio, I heard that the Doctor was in danger and the ice warriors were more ruthless then we thought, the had two hostages now! Victoria and the Doctor! Now the ice warriors wanted the scientist’s main computer and they were afraid that the ionizer was some sort of large weapon. 

I heard Miss Garrett say they were slowly losing power, but she couldn’t or wouldn’t dare increase, “Summary of orders to all world Ionizer stations: The new equation originated from Brittonicus Base will be adapted to conditions prevailing in each sector. All bases will prepare full ionizer attack on concentrated action. Zero hour in six hours. Report readiness in one hour”, I heard the computer say. 

“We can’t do it”, I heard Clent say, “But if we don’t the whole plan must fail”, said Miss Garrett, “But if we act and there’s an explosion…apart from destroying the base, the contamination could easily- “, “We must state our problem to World Control, now!” “No, we wait! We’ll give our computer all the information we have”, “It isn’t enough!” “Maybe…maybe”, “I know what the computer will say”, “No, no, no, no, let the computer speak for itself!”, “There’s only one answer it can give!”

There was no time to lose I had to go, so I left and walked outside in the heaps amount of snow. I followed the footsteps that lead out of the dome and into a cave that was full of ice, it was so cold that I was shivering. I mustn’t lose track of my destination, I thought as I ventured further into the cave until I stopped at an unusual wall which was not made of ice but instead made of metal.

“Who are you”, I heard a whisper like voice say next to me, looking towards my right I saw a screen with the same helmet I had saw the man who was frozen in the ice before. My eyes widened in realization before I said, “My name is Acacia Wood, I’m here to see my friend about something urgent.” The ice warrior seemed skeptical before I heard the Doctor shout, “Acacia! What are you doing here?!” 

“You’re alright”, I said relieved, “Well, of course I’m alright…why are you here”, the Doctor asked me, “I’m here about something urgen it's about Clent, Miss Garret, and their computer”, I said hinting. “Oh? You have to let her in”, the Doctor told the ice warrior as it still seemed skeptical, “You heard her, she said it’s urgent”, the Doctor told it, before the ice warrior decided to let me in. 

The metal door went up and I quickly went inside before it had shut behind me, “Doctor”, I said before he had his arms up waiting for a hug. I just stood there awkwardly, before he coughed nervously lowering his arms to his side, “What is it”, he asked me and I walked up to him, explaining the situation back at the base. “Seems like emotions are running high and to destroy this place…they’ll be killing themselves as well as us”, the Doctor told me.

“This cannot happen”, the ice warrior said next to us, before leading us into another room, “The engine room. Close the engine room”, the ice warrior ordered, before the door behind us closed and locked. “Well”, the ice warrior asked the Doctor, “Hm? It’s an ion reactor, isn’t it? Hmm, it could be dangerous, but not necessarily explode”, the Doctor told the ice warrior. 

“True, but your friends do not know that”, the ice warrior told the Doctor, holding up his communicator, “Now, why don’t you let us help you”, the Doctor asked. “We can get what we want without your help”, the ice warrior told, him, “They think we are a threat." “Not all of them”, I told the ice warrior, “Yes! And what else do you need apart from escaping from the ice”, the Doctor asked the giant robot. 

The ice warrior turned towards us, “We have had enough of your questions”, it told us annoyed, “Now you will give me answers”, then it took a menacingly step toward us, the Doctor and I took a step back. “Well, I’ve told you all about what I can about the ionizer”, the Doctor told the ice warrior, “That is only a toy, the base-what is its power source and what is this girl”, it asked us. 

I was baffled, “How were you able to find our spaceship”, the ice warrior asked me, “I…I just followed the very large footsteps”, I answered nervously, “There are no footsteps. Whatever was there, would have been covered hours ago”, it told me and my eyes widened. “But that’s what I saw”, I told the ice warrior.

“Why do you want to know? What the power source of the base is”, the Doctor asked, trying to distract the ice warrior, “Answer”, it ordered. “Oh, that's what you need” the Doctor exclaimed, having figured it out. Then another ice warrior demanded that I answer the first one’s question as it held Victoria hostage. “Fuel! Fuel! You need fuel for the reactor! And suppose we don’t tell you”, the Doctor told them. 

“The girl dies, now”, the ice warrior said menacingly and I glowered at it as I was frightened for Victoria, “You can’t do that”, I growled, “Can’t I”, the Ice warrior, who held Victoria, said cruelly. “Doctor! Acacia! Don’t tell them anything”, Victoria cried, she was trying to act brave, my fists clenched together. They were going to kill her if we didn’t do something.


	9. Chapter 9

Victoria was being held captured by the ice giant who had just threatened her life, “Doctor…you can’t let her die”, I said and he nodded in my direction. “Yes…you’ll find what you need at the base”, the Doctor told the ice warrior and I sighed in relief, however Victoria looked at us in complete betrayal. “You shouldn’t have”, she told us angrily, “But…you won’t find Leader Clent so easy to persuade. He’s a very obstinate man”, the Doctor told the ice warrior.

In reply, it said, “He will listen to our sonic cannon, now what abou-”, “We must act quickly, Commander”, the other ice warrior said, cutting off the Commander as more ice warriors revealed themselves from working. “Isbur and Rinton, wait for me at the entrance to the cave. Zandal, you will man the sonic gun”, the commander of the ice warriors ordered. “You won’t succeed! You can’t be so inhuman”, Victoria cried. “WE only fight to win”, the commander of the warriors told her before they left. 

I didn’t know whether I should comfort Victoria or leave her alone, so I decided to leave her alone as she walked away. After a while both the Doctor and I decided to sit next to her as we waited, whatever or whoever I was feeling…was gone now, but was now replaced with the guilt from…somebody else. I was beginning to get another headache, and tried to not show it. 

“They are now outside their base”, the ice warrior said at they’re monitor, gloating, “Stand by gun control, take readings”, we heard an ice warrior say from the speakers of the monitor. I noticed the Doctor glanced down at the bottle he carried with him, then at the ice warrior, and looked at us. 

Slowly, I felt the other person’s guilt fade away as the Doctor told Victoria to cry with her hands and then told me to stand with him to block the ice warrior’s view. We did just that as the Doctor told Victoria outload, “It’s all right Victoria, don’t cry. It’s alright, there’s nothing to be afraid of”, the Doctor told her. “You’ll be alright, we’ll be okay”, I added and the Doctor nodded to me as he pretended to take something out of his jacket. 

“But if Varga and Rintan is triumphant you will have cause to cry”, the ice warrior told her cruelly. Then the Doctor gave her a handkerchief, “Come along Victoria, blow. Blow”, he told her quietly but when she blew her nose quietly, he decided to make the noise of blowing your nose very loudly, for her. I was amused, but didn’t show it on my face, “That’s better, that’s better”, he told her as he pulled us both in, on the outside it would look like he was giving us both a hug. 

Holding up the bottle the Doctor whispered to us, “We can to escape with this”, “What is it”, Victoria whispered, then pretended to cry again, “Ammonium sulfide”, the Doctor told her. “Ammonium sulfide? It’s only a stink bomb”, she whispered, “Yes, you’ve had benefits of a classic education. Yes, it is what you call…a stink bomb”, the Doctor whispered, before I elbowed him. He knitted his brows and looked over at me as I raised a brow at him giving him a firm expression, “Sorry”, he whispered to Victoria.

“What can it be used for”, I whispered, “You’d be surprised. Harmless to humans, but for aliens…very possibly deadly”, the Doctor whispered. “The gun is now ready, Commander” the ice warrior said to the monitor, “Good Zandal. We will now contact the scientists, on my command you will fire at one. Do you understand”, the Commander of the ice warriors said out of the intercom. “Yes commander”, Zandal, the ice warrior, said to his monitor as the Doctor snuck behind the giant robot or alien, and opened the bottle behind it then gave us a gesture to distract the ice warrior.

“Zandal! Zandal! Look! Look”, Victoria called and the ice warrior looked over to us as it faced away from the Doctor, “What is it”, the ice warrior asked annoyed. “Something weird and strange”, I replied and I saw that the Doctor wore an amused expression as he watched us distract the ice warrior. “Do not try any tricks”, the ice warrior said as the alien walked up to us, “There’s water seeping into the ship. Just there”, Victoria said pointing to the corner of the wall.

The ice warrior walked over to the corner where Victoria was pointing, before the ice warrior looked over at me and sighed as it said, “There is nothing strange or weird about a leak.” “It could be, why don’t you take a closer look”, I told Zandal as the Doctor struggled to remove the lid, “I can’t get it open”, the Doctor whispered from the other side of the room, how I heard him from where I was…I had no idea. 

I gestured for Victoria to keep going and she nodded as Zandal kept looking for the source of the leak, “Er, just in the corner there”, Victoria said it as I added, “Yeah, right in the corner and it might have been there for a while”, I told the ice warrior holding my nose as well as Victoria. “Are you telling me it’s starting to mold?! Where is it”, the ice warrior asked me worried, as it started to look for the source of the leak frantically. 

I ran over to help the Doctor as Victoria pointed towards the corner again after the ice warrior asked where it was again. Then the alien growled and I was quick to pull her away from the ice warrior. “You tricked me, there is no water…what is that”, the ice warrior asked as it noticed the bottle in the Doctor’s hand. “Let me have it. Give it to me at once”, the alien ordered as the Doctor shrugged and handed it over to him as he said, “Very well…”

The Doctor pulled Victoria and myself close as we backed away towards the monitor, “Zandal! Zandal! Fire”, the Commander of the ice warriors ordered over the intercom, before Victoria ran over to grab the bottle and poured it all over the ice warrior and then ran back to us. My eyes widened as she did so and then we were all choking by the fumes as Zandal slowly fell to the floor.

“Fire now Zandal! Fire now”, the Commander of the ice warriors ordered again as the alien tried to touch the console to launch the sonic blast, until the Doctor stood and grabbed Zandal’s hand, but it was too late. The ice warrior passed out on the floor, “That’s Vorgo’s voice”, Victoria said through her handkerchief, “We’re going in now”, the Commander said over the intercom. “We must escape”, Victoria told us urgently, “It’s not just a question of escape, Victoria. We’ve got to take some action”, the Doctor said and then walked over to the monitor.

“Right, this gun that’s given Vorga control of the base without it he’d be helpless’, the Doctor said walking over to the monitor, that controlled the sonic cannon, and opening the panel in front of it. “Right and what can we do”, I asked as I walked up to him, “Don’t worry, I’ll have this done quickly…hopefully”, he told us glancing between Victoria and I. 

We heard Vorga threatening the group of scientists over the intercom, “He’s a monster”, I commented angrily, as the Doctor glanced at me for a moment before returning to work. Vorga asked about the reactor controls so they could see for themselves if the scientists used mercury. 

“They’re making them shut down the reactor”, Victoria exclaimed angrily, “Yes. Now this is Vorga’s main weapon, there’s a chance I can turn it against him”, the Doctor told us "With the weapon itself”, I asked, “Exactly”, he told me, then ran over to a pair of doors that led outside. 

“If I can open these doors…” the Doctor said pulling open the metal panel looking doors, before both Victoria and I went over to help him. The doors opened, “There we are come on", the Doctor told us as he held it open for us to walk through, then we followed close behind as we all walked up to the sonic cannon. 

“Now careful. Just stay there”, the Doctor warned as he walked up to the weapon, as Victoria and I stayed a little way away. “How does this gun operate”, I heard the Doctor say, before removing a panel to mess with the wires. “Hurry”, Victoria pleaded as I glanced down at the village that was not too far from where we were standing, before glancing back at the Doctor.

“What are you trying to do”, I asked the Doctor, “Well…it’s a little hard to explain, Acacia…oh, dear…come over here and help me will you”, he told me and I nodded before walking over to the Doctor. 

The Doctor handed me a handful of wires and began working on the machine again before answering my question, “This gun works on the basis that sound waves produce reverberations in the objects in their path.” “The objects vibrate in symphony. As my father told me once”, Victoria commented. “You don’t have to discredit yourself, just because someone told you a fact”, I told her, “But I’d be taking the credit for someone else”, she told me and I sighed. “Alright”, I told her and shrugged.

“Well if we can produce unsymphonetic vibrations, damage results”, the Doctor explained, finishing his train of thought, “Damage? Oh, like a singer breaking glass”, Victoria asked. “Yes, but I want to be able to get at the warriors without it affecting the scientists too much. Now, if we change this to frequency seven…it should primarily effect liquid”, the Doctor told us, “You think the ice warriors are made of mostly liquid then”, I asked, “Precisely”, the Doctor said before removing the wires from my hands, placing the parts back, and the panel before giving me a somewhat knowing and confused look, but remained silent. 

I was now giving a confused look of my own before Victoria asked, “If it works, what happens”, “That’s just it…I don’t know”, the Doctor told us honestly. “You don’t know”, I asked baffled, “Well it’s not like I’ve ever done that before, but I know that whatever effect it has on the scientists, it’ll have an even greater effect on the warriors”, the Doctor told us before we ran back inside going to the monitor that controlled the sonic blast. 

“How”, Victoria questioned, “Well, apart from the fluid question, their helmets will trap and intensify the sound waves”, the Doctor told her. “So, it’ll knock out the warriors, but leave the scientists dizzy”, I commented, “That’s what I’m hoping, but there is a vague risk that it can kill everybody. Clent and Penley included”, the Doctor told us and our eyes widened in horror. 

“And Jaimie”, Victoria asked extremely upset and I patted her shoulder, telling her it’ll be alright before she slapped my hand away, “How do you know it will be”, she asked me with tears welling up in her eyes. “Just believe that it will”, I whispered before rubbing her back comfortingly; I glanced at the Doctor before he nodded, smiling, before going back to work on the monitor. 

The Doctor was about to press the button until Victoria grabbed his arm and yelled, “No! No! It’s too dangerous”, “It’s a risk we must take Victoria”, he told her, then looked over at me. After a moment, I sighed and nodded, “I’m with you”, I told him and he nodded, then looked over at Victoria before she agreed as well. “Now, cross your fingers”, he said as his hand hovered over the button, “Here we go”, then he pressed the button on the console. 

Releasing the button, he then grabbed and pressed a button activating the intercom, “Vorga, this is the Doctor. Are you going to retreat, or shall I fire again? Trouble is…I dare not use it again, if it hasn’t killed them already, another firing certainly will, Vorga! Answer me or I’ll fire again”, the Doctor said into the intercom, facing Victoria and I as he said the last part. 

“You will die for this”, we heard Vorga say, “What do we do now”, Victoria asked, “Get well back”, the Doctor told her, as he pulled two wire out of the panel. “What”, Victoria asked, “Alright”, I said before I pulled her away from the monitor, “Stand back for the fireworks! Here we go”, the Doctor said then pulled the two wires together making the monitor explode a little. 

“Now, quickly! Let’s get out of here before they come back”, the Doctor told as he grabbed out hands making us run out of the spaceship and into the freezing cave. Once we were back in the base, he told Victoria to look for Jaimie, by now he should have returned. The Doctor and I were helping the scientists sit up as Victoria exclaimed that she had found Jaimie and he was in the other room. 

The Doctor told her to take Jaimie with her into the Tardis and close the doors, she nodded before she left. “They’re all alive”, I said happily as more and more scientists sat up dizzily. “Oh”, a man said a man groggily, “Okay, up you get. Come along”, the Doctor said helping the man up. “What happened? Did you do that? And who’s this”, the man asked the Doctor. The man seemed like he was half seeing me, like I was there and like I wasn’t as his eyes drifted from side to side. 

I tried lightly slapping the man’s face a little to try to get him to focus, “You alright”, I asked him, “There’s no time for questions”, the Doctor said as he turned the man around, so that he would help Clent up. 

Lifting a brow at the Doctor as I was confused, I wanted to know what was going on…but I suppose he’ll tell me when the time was right, I figured, as I helped Miss Garrett up. “You all right”, I asked the woman, “Yes, what was that”, she asked me, “A low frequency sonic blast. Managed to scare away the ice warriors”, I told her smiling, then I frowned as she stared back upset. 

“There was a good chance we could have all been killed by that blast you and friend had so recklessly used….an you smile like there’s nothing wrong with that”, she told me. “But...you didn’t die, you’re alive”, I told her and she just shook her head and walked away. I sighed…maybe she did have every right to be angry…we did just risk their lives using the sonic cannon with the possibility that it could have killed them all…it was a risk…

“Clent. Their spacecraft is powered by an ion reactor”, the Doctor told the man, interrupting my thoughts, “Well, that means we dare not use the ionizer at full force. That’s our last chance gone”, the head scientist told us helplessly. “Why? For heaven’s sake”, the man, whom the Doctor had helped before, asked, “Because of the risk man! You know what would happen”, Clent told the man. 

“Of course, there’s a risk, but it’s a risk we must take! It’s the only way”, the Doctor told them as he looked at us all, I wore an unsure expression. The Doctor came over to me and gently grabbed my shoulders, “Back in the spaceship you said you were with me, indicating you trust me. Do you still trust me”, he asked and I took a deep breath before I nodded, then the Doctor smiled. 

“The computer says no”, Clent told him stubbornly, “The computer- “, “Is our supreme advisor”, Clent said, cutting off the men. “And what sort of advice is that? Do nothing”, the man asked angrily, “We must obey”, Miss Garrett told him, “Well that’s stupid”, I commented then the Doctor elbowed me.

“The computer considers everything”, Clent told him, which made me narrow my eyes at the head scientist, “But that’s why in this case you cannot rely on its judgement”, the Doctor argued. “We trust the computer! It’s our strength and our guide”, Miss Garett exclaimed to the Doctor, “Not this time”, the Doctor told her. “Why”, I asked puzzled, “Because, Acacia, the computer is faced with an insoluble problem. Either way it destroys it risks of destroying itself and this it cannot do. It must play it safe”, the Doctor explained to me, “Yeah…but if it does nothing…it’s just as bad”, I said, my voice not really my own.

I was looking at the computer now as it spun around to look at me and the others around itself, before it looked away. It was alive, I thought as a tear rolled down my cheek and the others were deciding its fate. The other scientists kept calling it a machine, like they couldn’t see the life they had built in front of them. “This is a decision for a man to take, not a machine. The computer isn’t designed to take risks, but that is the essence of man’s procreates. We must decide”, the man told Miss Garrett.

“But if you do that you’ll soon ruin the world plan! All of the ionizer bases must work together, through world control! If we act too soon. It’s as bad as being too late”, Clent told them. “Yes, I know that…but the other bases haven’t got a glacier on top of them and apart from that, what about these ice warriors? If they live, they threaten our entire civilization”, the man told Clent. 

“A decision must be made and quickly”, the Doctor told them and Clent turned around, “I can’t”, he said and then they all turned towards Miss Garrett, “I daren’t”, she said before looking down. “It’s up to you…”, the Doctor said then paused, “My name’s Penley and yes I agree…well Clent”, Penley asked before the head scientist shook his head before turning around to face the man. 

“I reserve the right consult my computer”, Clent told him, “Go ahead”, Penley said as the head scientist walked towards the computer after the Doctor had pulled me away. My breath quickened as Clent asked the computer, “Problem: Alien spacecraft is powered by an ion reactor. Dare we use the ionizer? What are the alternatives? Answer.”

The computer began spinning around confused, it didn’t know what to answer my head stung as I felt pain that wasn’t my own. “It’s gone mad”, Clent exclaimed and sighed, “Well, Penley, we will use the ionizer at full strength to turn back the glacier. Miss Garrett inform world conrol.” “What of the spaceship”, I asked, “At full strength the ionizer will melt rock”, Penley said not really answering my question. 

After a while they set up their machine to destroy the ice before the glaciers moved as the warrior’s spaceship began to take off, before Clent could push the button, I quickly ran over to stop him. The Ice warriors flew u in the sky and then went away. I looked at Clent as he stood glaring at me, "What have you done", he growled. "I stopped you from making a horrible mistake", I told him. Then I looked at Miss Garret and Penley who stared at me with a mixture of anger and guilt…the spaceship was gone…and everyone was alive. 

Everyone went quiet, then the Doctor rubbed my back soothingly as he gestured for us to return to the Tardis. Letting me go in first, I noticed a bright white light and closed my eyes letting it engulf me. Here we go again.


	10. Chapter 10

My feet landed on the familiar metal floor as I heard the Tardis whirring. I sighed as I opened my eyes to see a man staring right at me, “Who are you”, he asked and my eyes went wide, then I narrowed my brows in confusion as I looked around…the Doctor…. was alone? Then I turned towards him as he still waited for me to answer, “It’s me…Acacia”, I told him my name hoping that it would spark some sort of familiarly. 

“Acacia…”, he questioned as I turned on the monitor to see where we were, it appeared we were in…London? “I have…have to go”, the Doctor said exiting out of the Tardis, “Uh…okay…I’ll follow you and make sure you don’t hurt yourself”, I told him. “What? Yeah, yes, of course”, the Doctor said looking at me confused and then nodded as he exited out of the Tardis. 

“Don’t wander off”, he told me turning around and then fainted in a bed of flowers and I sighed as I closed the door behind me. Walking up and kneeling beside him, I asked, “You alright”, suddenly he got up to stand, “I’m always all right…I’m fine”, he told me sounding almost drunk. I stood just as he fainted again, this time I was quick to grab his arm, with difficulty, I gently laid him down on the ground. 

“What happened”, I asked looking down at him, “I don’t remember”, he told me and passed out again, I sighed, “I need to get you to a hospital, you might have a concussion”, I said out loud. I left to go searching around town until I found a telephone box, I went inside and realized I had no money. Sighing in frustration, I left the phone box to go ask a local if they could call an ambulance for my friend. When she asked me where he was I told here in the woods not too far from here and she lifted a brow at me before telling the receptionist on the phone.

After she hung up, the woman told me that an ambulance was immediately dispatched and I thanked her before I quickly left. I ran to the Doctor just as I heard an ambulance in the distance, that was quick I thought. The men from inside of the ambulance brought out a gurney and placed the Doctor on top of it bringing him into the ambulance. I followed in after them and sat down just as they closed the doors so we could drive off to the hospital. 

The man asked me what had happened and I told him, “I don’t know…he seemed to be a little out of it and kept fainting”, “Is he drunk”, he asked me with knitted brows. “No”, I replied as I narrowed my eyes at the man and he sighed, “Right…well he may very well have a concussion.” I gave a concerned look at the Doctor, “Can you tell me his name”, the man asked me and I bit my lip, I didn’t know if I should tell this man that his name was Doctor. 

“I…um…”, I said as my mind searched for names and then I said the first thing that came to mind, “John Smith”, at that the man lifted a brow at me before he sighed and wrote down the name. Once inside of the hospital, they rolled the Doctor down the hall as I was told I had to wait in the lobby. So, I sat down and waited, “Who is that man”, I heard a Doctor say, “That young lady over there said his name is John Smith”, said another Doctor, “Awful young isn’t she”, said the first Doctor, “Yeah…so is that his real name? Or does she know”, asked the other Doctor. 

Looking down, I fiddled with my hands nervously, “He was passed out by a police box of all things”, I heard a man say, then another Doctor walked in and walked up to me. He told me that he would check on my friend, I smiled and nodded as he left. Then, not soon after that, another person walked in front of me, “Excuse me Miss”, the man in front of me asked and I looked up to see that he was a soldier. “Might I ask you a few questions”, he asked me, “Certainly”, I replied, “Who are you”, he asked me and I was taken aback a little. 

“A-Acacia Wood sir”, I told him nervously trying to be polite, “And you’re from the U.S. correct”, he asked me, “Yes”, I replied awkwardly. “What of the unconscious man that was with you”, he asked. I started fiddling with my hands nervously again, “Um, we’ve…. we’ve been traveling together…”, “Who is he to you”, he asked without taking a breath. “A-A friend”, I asked confused, what’s with all the personal questions I wondered, “One more question”, he said and I nodded, “What are you”, he asked me and I was baffled by this. 

“I’m human”, I told him obviously, then I felt something wet run down my nose and I narrowed my brows in confusion. Upon touching and looking at my fingers I saw that they were red, then I fainted and the soldier was quick to catch me. “Help! Help”, the soldier yelled, “What happened”, I heard one of the Doctors yell as they ran towards us, “I don’t know…her nose started bleeding and she passed out”, I heard the soldier say before I passed put completely closing my eyes. 

My head…my head was throbbing…my ribs…my ribs…everything ached, I felt like I was placed on a bed and then covered with a sheet. Then there was a pinch I felt on my arm and not soon after I heard a couple of men talking, “What do the X-rays say”, I heard one of the men asked, “Well…she’s healthy, but her bone structure is a little off; the top of her skull seems to be stretching for extra mass, on top of that she seems to growing an extra ribs to anticipate… extra organs… and then there something growing on the other side of her chest”, I heard the man say as I fell asleep again. 

I woke to hear someone yelling, “What do mean her blood’s changing?! Yes, I’m sure I took one sample of the girl’s blood…just the girl”, I heard a man yell…was he talking on the phone, I wondered. I got up groggily, before a nurse laid me back down again, “What are you doing”, she asked frantically, “My friend…I need to find my friend”, I told her. “Oh no, no, no, you need to rest”, she told me and I shook my head. 

“What of the girl”, I heard a stern’s man voice say outside of the room, “I’m afraid I can’t let you go in there”, another man said. “Why not”, asked the man who had a stern voice, “One: She’s a young lady and two: …. there’s something…strange going on with her”, the man told the other man. “Like what”, asked the man with the stern voice, “She’s… changing”, “How do you mean”, “She's human, but slowly-”, “Excuse me? Did you just say she’s human?” Then everything was silent before I heard their footsteps walk away.

Soon after that, I fell asleep again but then I felt my body being picked up off the bed and I cried out before they taped my mouth shut, my hands and feet were binded before I was placed on someone’s lap. Whoever it was, held me up and I opened my eyes sleepily and looked up to see that the Doctor had his mouth taped shut as well. We were being pushed outside, towards a van and my eyes widened in fear…we were being kidnapped!

Then the Doctor kicked them and we rolled away as I tried to lean against the Doctor so I wouldn’t fall off. We heard gunshots and we quickly ducked, every once and a while we would look back to see if the men who tried to kidnap us were gaining. I was glad to see they were far away, but not so glad as the Doctor rolled us into a garden and we fell over. 

He was quick to get himself unbound and then came over to help me as well, the Doctor was busy covering a pillow with a shirt he had found as I pulled off the tape covering my mouth. I narrowed my eyes in pain and covered my mouth, the Doctor then grabbed my hand and pulled me up as we ran to the direction of the Tardis. I was embarrassed to see that we were both in hospital gowns as another gunshot could be heard and the Doctor fell, “Doctor”, I screamed in fear. 

“Stop firing, you fool”, I heard a man yell and a couple of soldiers ran to us as I knelt next to the Doctor to see if he was alright. A group of soldiers surrounded us as one of them turned him over to see that he was passed out, “What happened”, a soldier asked, “They-they gave no warning sir”, another one asked. “So, you shoot anyway”, I yelled in anger at the soldier who gulped nervously, then they took us back to the hospital. 

The doctors and nurses were quick to bring the doctor and I back to our rooms. As a nurse laid me down on the bed and covered me with a sheet another doctor came in to check up on me, “Is she alright”, I heard the stern’s man’s, the one I heard before, voice say. “Yes, but she should rest even still”, the doctor said, pointing the last statement more towards me as he glanced over. I sighed and then nodded, as I turned on my side to close my eyes and went to sleep. 

A few hours later, I heard a whisper, “Acacia”, turning around on my bed, I looked over towards the door way to see the Doctor standing there. “Doctor”, I exclaimed sitting up and he was quick to shush me and then gestured for me to come over. I lifted a brow, before removing the sheet that covered me and walked over, “Are you alright”, he whispered to me and I knitted my brows in confusion, “I should be asking you that”, I told him.

He simply shook his head and waved it off, “It’s just part of the regeneration process, what’s this I hear about your body changing”, he asked me. “I don’t know…I overheard it as well…something about my bone structure, my skull, and apparently, something is growing inside of my chest…Doctor what’s going on”, I asked him, I was hoping to get some answers but even now he remained silent. 

I heard him whisper, “I wonder…” as he rubbed his chin in thought, then turned his head to face me again. “We’re going to try to sneak out”, he whispered, “How? I mean we’re still wearing our hospital gowns”, I told him. “…I have an idea, follow me”, he told me before grabbing my hand as we snuck down the hall.

Then we stopped and he turned to face me awkwardly, “We’re going to borrow some outfits”, he told me, before I glanced at the doors and him with wide eyes. I smiled and narrowed my eyes in confusion, “We’re going to steal someone else’s clothes”, I asked, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “I did say borrow”, he told me before going into the men’s locker room and I scoffed, before I went into the ladies. 

I took the opportunity to shower before I stole or “borrow” some clothes, I wrapped a towel around myself and went around the lockers as if I were shopping. This was certainly not the right thing to do, but we were desperate for clothes…and wearing a hospital gown was a tad bit uncomfortable. 

Walking around, I grabbed a black and white striped shirt, black slacks, white tennis shoes, and a black fedora; I walked out of the locker room just as I placed my fedora on top of my head. I looked up to see the Doctor turn to face me in a black shiny fancy suit and then he lifted a brow at me and my outfit as I did the same. We then quickly hid behind a wall as two men walked passed, the Doctor and I sighed in relief as we began walking down the hall again not before he placed a black fedora of his own on top of his head. 

Quickly, we snuck out of the building and got into a nice looking black and red car that looked like it could have been used in the 1940s. He got into the driver’s seat, pressed a button and we drove away, once we were down the road I had a sudden realization, “Did…did we just steal a car”, I asked, “Yes”, he replied. My eyes widened before I smiled baffled and the I shrugged leaning back in the seat, “Okay”, I replied. 

Then the Doctor reached over to push my fedora down so that it covered my eyes, “H-hey”, I said then pulled the front up to playfully glare at the Doctor. He just smiled amused, “Don’t get used it”, he told me. I smirked and shook my head, “I won’t”, I said crossing my arms and then placed them down on my seat to look around. I finally glanced over to the Doctor, “So…where are we going”, I asked, “To find the Tardis”, he told me, “You know where it is”, I asked, “I know exactly where it is”, he told me, before he made turn. 

As we drove through a tunnel with a gate at the end of it a guard popped up from behind it, as the gate opened, to stop us. The Doctor drove up next to the man and stopped, “Alright, alright…I suppose you want to see our passes then, hm”, the Doctor asked. Before the guard could speak, the Doctor spoke again, “Yes, well we haven’t got one and I’m not going to tell you our names either. Now you just tell Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart that we would like to see him…well, don’t just stand there arguing with me man! Get on with it “, the Doctor ordered and the guard quickly ran inside of the building. 

“Um, Doctor”, I said as soon as the guard was gone, “Yes”, he replied looking over at me, “He didn’t say anything”, I told him to which he replied awkwardly, “I knew that.” We got out of the car and snuck in hiding from a couple of guards along the way, walking down the hall and then turned left into a room we found the Tardis. 

A man walked in after us, giving both the Doctor and I a smug expression, “Ah! There you are my dear fellow”, the Doctor greeted as the man walked up to us. I just noticed there was a woman in the same room as us working with chemistry on the opposite side of the room. “I expect you’re wondering how we found you here”, the Doctor asked, “Yes”, the man said in a stern voce, the same voice I heard back in the hospital. Curiously, I looked over to the Doctor, “Fortunately, I had this with me you see”, the Doctor told the man, pulling up his sleeve to reveal a watch he wore around his wrist. 

“Where did you nick that”, I asked, “Excuse me”, he asked surprised and I lifted a brow at him, “I made it. What do you take me for? Some kind of thief”, he asked me before the Doctor winked and smiled playfully. The man before us waited as the Doctor turned towards him again, “This watch homes on the Tardis”, the Doctor told us, as I heard the Tardis hum behind me. 

Turning around I walked forward to touch the Tardis before the Doctor said, “Careful, don’t want to leave prematurely”, the Doctor told me and I nodded, “Right”, I said backing away. “Nice of you to look after her for me”, the Doctor thanked the man, “Do you happen to have the key, by the way”, he asked. “I do, but it won’t work”, he man told the Doctor, “Ha-hah! But it will for me”, the Doctor told the man. 

“Not so fast! I have a lot of questions to ask the both of you”, the man told us, “My dear Brigadier, it’s no earthly good asking me and least of all Acacia a lot of questions. I’ve lost my memory you see? And Acacia…well, I’m afraid none of it happened to her yet”, the Doctor told, who now I knew was the Brigadier. 

“How do I know you and your friend here are not imposters”, Brigadier asked the Doctor, “But you don’t, you don’t…only I know that”, the Doctor told him before he began scanning the room. “What do you think of my new face, by the way? Or better yet…no wait I can’t say anything”, the Doctor said turning around to face Brigadier as he touched his own face.

“Well, I wasn’t too sure about either to begin with…but they sort of grow on you”, the Doctor said while looking into a mirror and then glanced over at me smiling a bit. “Very flexible you know”, the Doctor said looking back into the mirror, “Could be useful on the planet Delphine, where they communicate with their eyebrows”, the Doctor said looking back at us waggling his eyebrows. 

I lifted a brow at the Doctor, crossing my arms as I looked both confused and amused, “Yes! Much like that”, the Doctor told me as he pointed towards my face. Brigadier crossed his arm as and sighed as well, but wasn’t as amused as I was, “Well, that’s strange…how did I remember that”, the Doctor asked us. “Alright...alright! If I accept that you are the Doctor and that she is Acacia, there’s still a lot of things- oh, by the way this is Miss Shaw”, Brigadier said and the woman from across the room approached us. 

The Doctor raised his eyebrows up and down at her, “That’s Delphin for, “How do you do””, the Doctor told her and then shook her hand as he said, “Delighted, Miss Shaw”, before he removed his hand. “And this is my friend Acacia”, the Doctor told her as I shook Miss Shaw’s hand, “Don’t worry I won’t give you that strange greeting the Doctor just gave you”, I teased and then said, “Nice to meet you”, before removing my hand and placing it by my side. 

“What are you a Doctor of, by the way”, Miss Shaw asked the Doctor, “Practically everything my dear”, he told her, “And what of the girl? An assistant? A student”, she asked glancing between the Doctor and I. “A friend and a traveling companion”, I told her then she nodded…she seemed a bit uncomfortable…I wonder why?

The she answered my thought, “Traveling companion? What do you mean? You travel together? Alone”, she asked, “Yes", I questioned and she sighed as she gave me a worried look. I was faced with thought of what my purpose was in all this was, I just accepted that this was my life now…traveling through time to different points of the Doctor’s life. 

I heard the Tardis hum reassuringly at me and I glanced back at her, I made the right choice when following the Doctor, I felt coming from the Tardis. “What’s going on”, the Doctor asked me as I turned around to face the group again, “The Tardis…spoke to me”, I told him glancing back at it. “You spoke to police box”, Miss Shaw asked not believing what she was hearing, “No it’s a Time Relative Dimension In Space”, I said turning to face her again and then raised my eyebrows at what I had just said as my head began to ache. 

Miss Shaw’s eyes widened and then she smiled awkwardly a bit unsure what had happened, “Okay…from what we can gather you two arrived last night, in the middle of meteorites”, Brigadier said as he walked up to us. “Did we really? How terribly exciting”, the Doctor said giddy, “Well, objects from space at any rate. You must realize I can’t let either of you go until I’m sure there’s no connection”, Brigadier told the Doctor.

“Look, I’ve no recollection of last night and Acacia…she just appeared beside me. That’s most unfair, how could we”, the Doctor asked the man. “What do you mean…she appears”, Miss Shaw asked skeptical, “Well, she appears in different part of my life. Sometimes even…” the Doctor’s eyes widened before he covered his mouth, glancing at me. 

“It doesn’t matter”, the Brigadier said and then the Doctor nodded in agreement lowering his hand blushing a bit, Miss Shaw and I glanced at the men confused. Suddenly the Doctor pointed at a silver container, “Now, what’s this”, he asked walking over to the table, “Those are the bits of what the Brigadier thought might be a meteorite”, Miss Shaw told the Doctor as the rest of us walked up behind him. 

Inside of the container looked like it could be made of plastic, it was clear and was shaped in an uneven half of a sphere. “Plastic”, the Doctor asked her. “It’s not thermal-plastic, neither is it firm- setting and there’s no polymer chains”, Miss Shaw told the Doctor as he looked down, examining the strange object. He picked it up looking at it, before he gave it to me to examine; as I rolled it around in my hands my fingers touched the edge, “Ouch”, I said as I felt an electrical tingle go through my finger and up my arm. I immediately dropped it, before the Doctor was quick to catch the object before putting back in the container. 

“What happened”, he asked me looking down at my finger as I held my hand, “It shocked me”, I told him as I shook my hand trying to get rid of the sensation. The Doctor held my finger examining it before rubbing it comfortingly, “It was just a minor electric shock, you should be fine”, he told me, before turning his attention back to the object, letting go of my hand. 

“I wonder what was inside”, the Doctor commented, examining the object again, “Inside”, Miss Shaw asked, “Yes, well you can tell from the shape that this was a hollow sphere”, the Doctor told her. “What do you think was inside”, I asked, “Whatever was inside would have to have enough space for three cubic centimeters, wouldn’t you”, the Doctor asked me. 

“Do I gather you both are going to help us Doctor”, Brigadier asked sternly, “If we do, will you give me the key to the Tardis”, the Doctor asked the man as he turned in the chair to face him. “Possibly”, Brigadier told him and I sighed, placing my hands on my hips, “Then go away and let the three of us get on with our work, there’s a good fellow. Look do we really have to call you Miss Shaw”, the Doctor asked, turning back around to face the woman. 

“No, Liz…just Liz”, she told him amused, “Liz, that’s much better”, the Doctor told her, “Liz is a nice name”, I told her. “Thank you”, she said awkwardly as she blushed and smiled a bit at the two of us before we went back to work on the object. “How many of these actual came down”, the Doctor asked and we heard the Brigadier sigh behind us, “About fifty, as near as we can estimate”, he told us, “And you found only fragments, not whole one”, the Doctor asked as we turned to face the Brigadier again. “One yes, but there was an accident. It disappeared”, he told us. 

“Then the answer to your question is obvious, isn’t it? By the time your search party arrived, the rest of these things had been collected. Collected and taken somewhere”, the Doctor told us, “But where”, I asked confused, “Hm”, he hummed thinking as we all thought about the possibilities.


	11. Chapter 11

The doctor, Liz, and I tried different components, measurements, and other methods in trying to figure out what the orb was made of and so far, there had been nothing. “Are you getting reading”, Liz asked the Doctor, “No”, he told her, “How about you”, she asked me, “There’s nothing”, I told her lifting my head from the microscope. “Oh well, that it”, Liz said frustrated, “I can’t think of anything else we can try!” “Well, don’t worry my dear, we tried our best”, the Doctor told her, “I can’t understand it, we’ve tried a dozen different analysis and haven’t identified a single element”, Liz complained. 

“Yes, what results can you expect from primitive equipment”, he told her, “Because the elements aren’t part of Earth”, I asked, “Exactly”, the Doctor said confirming. “Primitive? Elements that are not part of Earth? We’ve lasers, spectrographs, micro probes- “, “Yes, yes, I know all that. At least from Acacia’s time we would have more technology options. What we need is a…lateral molecular rectifier”, the Doctor told her.

“What on Earth is that”, Liz asked, “Not on Earth unfortunately…but I think I have one in my Tardis”, the Doctor told Liz who looked skeptical, “In there”, she asked, pointing towards the Tardis. “Yes, well I’m sure I used one sometime in the past…or was it the future…”, Doctor trailed off confused as to which time he had used the contraption. “Doctor do you really have scientific equipment in there”, she asked him, “My dear Liz…I have an entire laboratory”, the Doctor told her and she chuckled shaking her head. “Yes, yes, I’m sure you have”, Liz said not believing what she was hearing, “It’s true”, I told her, “Oh, don’t encourage him”, she whispered to me, which obviously, the Doctor heard, as he gave her a look.

“What? You think the Tardis isn’t big enough, don’t you? That’s why you keep looking at it as simple a police box”, the Doctor told Liz. “Well, isn’t it just a police box”, she asked and I sighed, “No, no, not once you get inside it, it isn’t “, he told her, “It’s just as Acacia said: Time And Relative Dimension In Space; the Tardis is dimensionally transcendental”, the Doctor told her. “Oh...I see”, Liz asked amused and confused. 

“Yes, well…it would take too long to try and explain that to you. The important thing is that we’ve got to get this material analyzed”, the Doctor said then moved to stand in front of the Tardis. “And you can do that with your equipment”, Liz asked, “Child’s play”, she commented, “We still need the key from Brigadier before we do that however”, I told them. “Yes…without the key from Lethbridge Stewart…we can’t get inside”, the Doctor added. 

“Well…I suppose it is your property”, Liz said reluctantly, “Yes…of course, there is the possibility that…” the Doctor said stopping right in front of Liz, “That you may be able to persuade him to part with it”, he said turning around and pointed towards me. “What”, I squeaked raising my eyebrows in surprise, “Yes…I can’t tell you why… you’ll just have to trust me”, the Doctor said as he approached me, patting me on the shoulder. 

Liz just rubbed her eyes, she couldn’t believe what was happening, “O-okay…” I said nervously and a bit unsure, “Do you know where he could be”, I asked Liz who was glaring at the Doctor, he turned around and gave her a look. She sighed, “I can’t believe I’m going along with this… turn right, all the way down the corridor, and it’s on your right”, she told me. “Thank you”, I said and stood up, “Good luck”, the Doctor told me and I nodded nervously before I left. 

Following Liz’s direction, I went down the hall and stopped right in front of the Brigadier’s office and I was blushing now out of nervousness. I was tense and my face felt hot as I hesitated to knock on the door, but as I did so…I instantly regretted it…now wanting to run back down the hall. The door finally opened and I looked up to see the Brigadier on the other side of the door, he looked at me in surprise, “Miss Wood”, he said confused. “May I have a word, it’s very important”, I asked tilting my head in the doorway, “U-um, not now…I’m busy”, he told me politely glancing back at the man in his office, he seemed to be looking around nervously. 

“Yes, I can see that…but it won’t take very long, you see the Doctor- “, “The Doctor…”, Brigadier said shaking his head, “Always you and the Doctor, eh”, he told me slightly upset, raising a brow at me. I knitted my eyebrows in confusion as he sighed, “I’m sorry…that wasn’t fair, was it? I’ll speak to you in a moment. Please be patient”, Brigadier told me then turned around to face the man that was in his office. 

“You say the creature was armed”, Brigadier asked the man walking across the room distracted, then I noticed the Tardis key on Brigadier’s desk. I quickly grabbed the Tardis key before Brigadier turned around to face the man again. As I turned around to leave, I suddenly stopped and whispered before I could stop myself, “Whatever I did, I’m sorry”, then I left Brigadier’s office closing the door behind me. 

When I came back with the Tardis key in hand, I told the Doctor, “He was very mad with me", “Yes, I’d imagine he would be”, he said and I sighed, why would he tell me to go instead of Liz then. Then I thought about the apology I said, before I left, “I-I apologized for something I haven’t done yet…is that…normal”, I told the Doctor who just smiled kindly and nodded. “But, now I’m afraid he’s going to be awfully cross with you”, he told me, showing me the Tardis key that I took. 

“Well, if you’re quick, he might’ve missed it”, Liz told him as the Doctor put the key into the Tardis and it turned, “You know the key didn’t turn when Brigadier tried to open it”, she told us confused, as the Doctor opened the door. “Well, that’s because the lock has a metabolism detector”, he told her, before pulling me inside with him and shutting the door. He then dragged me to the console, then let go as he pressed multiple buttons, switches, and turned a couple of knobs. Until the Tardis started to smoke.

“You’re trying to leave”, I asked upset as I coughed, “I don’t think we’re going anywhere”, the Doctor told me, coughing as well, “You think”, I yelled angrily as I started hacking. My lungs were beginning to hurt and I pounded my chest trying to breathe. Then the Doctor ran over, quickly covering my face with his coat, as we exited out of the Tardis coughing.

As soon as we were out, I walked away from him and leaned against the table as I as I tried breathing in and out, “Just testing”, the Doctor told Liz awkwardly. I turned around to face them and noticed Brigadier was there as well, with his arms crossed. “I wanted to see if the controls if the controls- “, “Doctor…you and Acacia tricked us”, Liz said upset, “Acacia didn’t know…and yes…I did”, the Doctor told her apolitically. 

I felt something wet fall down my nose and I quickly wiped it with a napkin I found on the table and hid it behind my back before anyone could see. “The temptation was too strong, my dear”, the Doctor said, glancing between Liz and I, “And I see you didn’t hesitate taking Acacia with you”, Liz told him angrily, but it wasn’t anything hostile towards me. “Well, she’s just as much part of the ship as I am”, he told her, both Liz and Brigadier sighed angrily at that. 

“Yes…it’s just, I couldn’t bear the thought of being tied to one planet at one time, and I couldn’t in good conscience leave Acacia behind. I’m sorry”, the Doctor told them, then glanced over at me before he sat and looked down. “It won’t happen again”, he told us sadly and Brigadier sighed, before walking up to him, “It won’t”, he asked. The he held out his hand, “Give me the key, Doctor”, Brigadier ordered softly, “Must I”, the Doctor asked looking up at him, “As you can see, the Tardis no longer works as you saw…and Acacia didn’t disappear.”

So, he dragged me into the Tardis fully expecting me to disappear, I thought angrily as I crossed my arms and looked crossed at the Doctor as he glanced at me apologetically. Brigadier noticed this and nodded in understanding, “Well, will you give me your word: Not to try to escape again”, Brigadier asked both the Doctor and I, “I couldn’t escape even if I wanted to…I’ve been trapped here”, the Doctor told us. “By who”, I asked, “By that mean, despicable, underhanded lot. They’ve changed the dematerialization code”, the Doctor told me. 

“The what”, Brigadier asked, “The demateri…it doesn’t matter, you wouldn’t understand anyway”, the Doctor said sulkily, “There’s a great deal that I don’t understand, but one thing I did understand Doctor…was that you two promised you would help”, Brigadier told him. “We’ve tried”, I told him, “Yes…we need more evidence to go on”, the Doctor told the Brigadier as he stood to lean against the table. 

“Well, I think I might be able to help you”, Brigadier told us, lowering his arms, “Follow me”, he said, then walked out of the room, I lifted a brow at the Doctor who just shrugged as we followed him out. We walked down the hall to Brigadier’s office, first he let the Doctor and Liz go in first before he stopped in front of me. “We’ll talk later”, he told me as I raised my brows, before he let me go inside, “What did he say”, the Doctor asked me as soon as I came in. “He said he’ll talk to me later…if I didn’t know better I’d say I was just scorned by a principle”, I told the Doctor, “It isn’t much different”, he whispered to me, just as Brigadier walked over to his desk after shutting the door behind him.

Brigadier lifted a brow at us and we went silent as he sat at his desk, the man that I saw from before was still there, I noticed. “What made you go back into the factory”, Brigadier asked the man, “Well…I wanted to try to talk to George on my own…and I wanted to get a look at that security area”, the man said nervously, “You think he’s afraid of somebody”, Brigadier asked him, “I don’t know, but…but this other man came in…” the man trailed off in thought and fear.

“Did you find out who the other man was”, Brigadier asked, “Yes, his name was Channing. Now, he seemed to have some sort of mental hold over George, almost as if he was hypnotized”, the man told us, and my eyes narrowed at this. “Brigadier, perhaps a visit to that plastics factory would be in order, don’t you”, the Doctor said, “Agreed”, I said. 

“Brigadier”, we heard a radio say, “Yes, go ahead over”, Brigadier said, as he pressed a button on his radio that sat on his desk, “We might have found someone who’s found one of those meteorites. Over”, said the man over the radio, “On my way over”, Brigadier said, then pocketed a large radio that sat on his desk. “Looks like we need to make a stop along the way”, he told us as he stood. 

We left the building in a car to go a tent that the soldiers had set up where the meteorites had landed around where the Tardis had materialized. Going inside of the tent we saw an older man being interrogated by two soldiers, both soldiers glanced back at us and then walked over after giving the older gentleman an annoyed look. “This man, sir, he’s found one of the meteorites”, a soldier told Brigadier, “Where is it”, Brigadier asked, “At my house”, the older man said. 

My eyes widened in horror at this, those things were dangerous, and someone’s been collecting them…and he’s brought one to his house?! “I was about to bring a party to collect it”, said the solider, “Right, we’ll take my car”, Brigadier told everyone. “You know the way, Mr. Monroe”, and the soldier nodded, “Mr. Ransom, would you mind staying here”, Brigadier told another soldier just as we exited the tent to get into his car. “Brigadier, I think we’ll some with you if you don’t mind”, the Doctor said as we walked up to him. 

“Good, might be as well”, Brigadier told him as he glanced between the Doctor, Liz, and I; we all got into his car and drove to the older man’s house. I had a bad feeling, when we finally did pull up to the man’s house. We got out of the car and went up to the house, I felt myself pleading that whoever was inside would be alright. “Mrs. Seeley”, Brigadier called, just as the Doctor pushed the door to show us that it was already open. By the look of the door, it looked like it was forced open since it had cracks and rips along the side of the archway. 

Upon entering the house, we saw a large mess inside of the living room and everything had been turned over or smashed to pieces. “What did this”, I asked frightened for the owner, “I don’t know. Check the- “, Brigadier began to say, before we all heard a strange noise. We all ran to the back of the house to see a man with his back turned towards us. When we moved closer the man turned around to reveal that he wasn’t a man at all, but a mannequin! 

The statue had no eyes and a permanent smile which looked menacing from affair, I quickly ducked as he lifted his hand to shoot at me through his fingers. “What the hell is that”, I asked as the soldiers were shooting at it and it shot back, “A living mannequin, obviously”, Liz told me, “Why is there a living plastic statue in the middle of London”, I said irritated as it kept shooting at us. “Good question, let’s find out after it stops shooting at us.”, the Doctor told me.

“Get a platoon out here fast”, Brigadier ordered as they soon found out that their bullets weren’t working, then I noticed there was an elderly woman who was passed out not too far from us. “Watch where you fire, Brigadier”, I yelled as a soldier brought a platoon over to Brigadier, “I won’t miss”, he told me and before he could use it, the mannequin retreated. 

As soon as it was gone, I ran to check the pulse of the elderly woman as Liz placed a pillow under her head that she had found. “Is she alright”, the Doctor asked me, “She’s alive, no thanks to that mannequin. We need to get her to a hospital”, I told him. “Agreed”, he said, “Right, I’ll go call an ambulance”, said a solider before walking off as another chased after the mannequin. 

“You know…this is most interesting”, the Doctor said, pulling a sphere out of a chest nearby and I walked over to see what he was talking about. “What is”, I asked, “…Well, I was right about the shape, the signal must have been muffled by the metal inside of the trunk…it’s most interesting. We must examine it further in the laboratory”, the Doctor said, before placing the sphere in my hands, as I examined it. 

“Suppose it explodes…like the other one”, Liz asked and my eyebrows raised in shock at this and then I looked over at the two, “There’s no reason why it should, if we treat it gently”, the Doctor explained as he found me holding the ball nervously, humorous. “Unless, of course…” the Doctor said and trailed off, “Unless what”, both Liz and I asked, “It has a built-in destruct impulse”, the Doctor told us and I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re enjoying this aren’t you”, I said, “Oh no my dear, I’m quite serious”, he told me and I gulped looking at the sphere again.

“Doctor...much as I’m enjoying the show, there’s more pressing matter at hand. Suppose that…thing comes after it again” Liz asked concerned, “In that case we’ll just have to risk it”, the Doctor told her just a Brigadier and a soldier ran up to us. “The creature got away sir”, he told the Brigadier, “Monroe, I want a cordon round that plastics factory”, Brigadier ordered and the soldier left to do just that. 

“We must make our move very cautiously Brigadier”, the Doctor told him, just as Brigadier’s radio went off as a soldier yelled the frightened man that we spoke to in Brigadier’s office was gone. Brigadier picked up his radio and told the soldier were on our way.

Once back at the tent, the Doctor examined the hole where the men had said that the frightened man had left out of, “He must have cut his way out”, I heard Monroe say as I walked up to the hole as well. “No, he didn’t cut his way out…someone cut their way in”, the Doctor said as I looked at the ground to see a distorted image of a man lying there in fear and then he disappeared. 

I walked away as my nose started bleeding again, whatever was happening to me…it was accelerating, then I placed the napkin back into my pocket. “So, they took him from under our noses”, Brigadier commented, as I walked over to the bench that had fallen over and placed my hand on the ground. There was a feeling of a slight pain, a scream, and then nothing…did he evaporate…or turn to ash? I wondered as I had my eyes closed. 

“If Mr. Ransom is anywhere, he’ll be at the plastics factory, so I suggest we…go…immediately…Acacia”, I heard the Doctor say and felt a hand on my shoulder. At first I had trouble opening my eyes and when I did I could see some different shades of colors and light that I couldn’t before, then I quickly closed my eyes again as I slowly stood. Slowly, I opened my eyes again as everyone else was working…but the Doctor kept a close eye on me. “Are you alright”, he asked me, “Yeah”, I said a little sleepily, “We’re going to the factory, right?”

As I said this, I had a bit of trouble walking a few feet as my legs wobbled…I can get to the car, I thought as my eyes started to blur with tears as my head ached. Suddenly I felt my ribs began to hurt as I grabbed them, then I felt my spine stretch and I cried out as my legs buckled beneath me. I fell kneeling on the ground and wrapped my arms around myself and I cried as I felt like I was being torn apart. 

My head, my ribs, my skin, bones, muscles, and organs all ached to the point where it was unbearable, I heard distant yells surrounding me just as I felt someone press their forehead against mine. The pain slowly faded as I opened my eyes again, I blinked away the fogginess and noticed the Doctor knelt beside me, he was leaning over me. “What’s wrong with her”, Brigadier asked the Doctor, but he ignored him as he rubbed his forehead stressfully. 

“We need to bring her to a hospital”, Liz said, “We can’t take her to a hospital”, the Doctor told her and sighed, “Why not”, Liz asked. “We just can’t”, he told her frustrated, “If my Tardis was up and running, I could take her…but they’ve banned me and changed the dematerialization code. So, now we can’t go anywhere where it might help her”, the Doctor said angrily. 

“I’m okay…you don’t have to worry about me”, I said hoarsely, “No…you’re not, if you keep pushing yourself you’ll…”, the Doctor paused then covered his face. “Well, we can’t just leave her here. This base has been compromised”, Brigadier told him, “Yes, of course”, the Doctor said removing his hand and then looked back at me, “Can you get up and walk?” “I can try”, I told him as I stood, I was determined to show everyone that I was alright and that I could still go to the factory with them. When in reality that couldn’t have been far from the truth.


	12. Chapter 12

Upon arriving at the plastic factory, I couldn’t help but feel the creepy vibe coming from the place. We walked in and were greeted by a woman who had been expecting us, then she led us through the factory. I watched her suspiciously as we passed by large machinery that creaked and hissed, the machines radiated heat but I still shivered by the creepiness of it all. 

Then the woman walked up a set of stairs at the back of the factory and we followed her as she went down a hall, up to the second floor, and then stopped at a door. The woman walked in as Brigadier looked through a foggy see-through door that was across the hall, “Something the matter”, I asked and the Brigadier shook his head as the woman came out again. 

She walked away and we looked at her questioningly as she left the door open, we figured it was okay to go in…so we did, closing the door behind us. When we did, we saw a man sitting behind a desk as he watched us intently as we all stood in front of his desk. The man stood and shook our hands as he told us his name was Mr. Hibbert, then asked us why we were in his factory. After Brigadier had explained to him what had happened, and why we needed to investigate the plastic factory; Mr. Hibbert narrowed his brows at us and smiled like we were crazy. 

“What an extraordinary story”, Mr. Hibbert told Brigadier, leaning back in his chair, “What would make the man say such a thing.” “We have to check in on it, no matter how extraordinary it may be”, Brigadier told Mr. Hibbert. “I’d would like to have him tell me that instead”, the other man said amused, “He was coming with us, but unfortunately…he disappeared”, Liz told Mr. Hibbert. 

I stood there, hands on my hips and remained silent, as I looked suspiciously at Mr. Hibbert and then he sighed. “He was a brilliant man in many ways”, he told us, “Then why did you dismiss him”, Liz asked. “He had some…scheme…for making electronic dolls. The design was quite impractical”, Mr. Hibbert told us, I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms…I had to remember this was a different time…probably where electronic dolls were unheard of, at least not yet.

“He was very unpleasant when I turned him down”, Mr. Hibbert told us, that was strange…from what I saw he seemed a bit nervous, but all in all quite polite. “So, you feel he told us this story just to cause you trouble”, Brigadier asked, “I’m afraid so”, the man replied, “It must have been praying on his mind.” 

“What exactly are you making here”, the Doctor asked, “Plastic dolls of course”, Mr. Hibbert answered, “But our new line is display…mannequins for shops. We send them all over the country.” “And can these mannequins actually move”, the Doctor asked, “Well, they’re flexible…of course. That’s why we’ve captured the market, but I can assure you, they can’t move on their own”, Mr. Hibbert said amused.

“So Ransom may have been simply causing trouble”, Brigadier asked, “I can’t think of another explanation”, Mr. Hibbert said sheepishly and I narrowed my eyes, he was lying. “Yes well, I think we’ve got to see all we can possibly see here”, the Doctor said glancing around the room and at the rest of us. “I’m sorry we’ve been a nuisance”, the Doctor told the man, “Not at all. I’ll see you out”, Mr. Hibbert told him.

We left the building and headed straight back to the Unit Headquarters as Brigadier told Liz how he saw a man behind a window, someone of which he recognized from a photograph. Back in the laboratory, the Doctor was connecting cords and wires to the sphere we had found, to try and get readings off of it. 

I overheard Brigadier telling Liz, if he could get permission, that if he could get a whole squad out there they could surround and raid the factory. My brows raised at the thought, that could end disastrous if not handled properly, “Seems like they’re getting along”, the Doctor told me and I hummed as he called them over. 

“Look at this”, the Doctor said as he showed us the readings to the sphere that had printed out, “Have you found something”, Liz asked, “What does it do”, Brigadier asked as well. “It measures brain activity”, the Doctor told us, “It’s alive”, I asked, “Yes…well the subconscious inside." “What about the outer shell”, I asked the Doctor, “Just an outer shell to protect it”, he told me. 

“I wonder whether we can communicate with it”, the Doctor thought out loud, then the intercom on nearby desk buzzed. Brigadier pressed the button on the machine and answered it, “Yes”, he said, then released it to let the other person speak. “Your call from general Scobie, Sir”, a man said, “Good”, Brigadier replied and went to pick up the phone that sat next to the intercom. 

The Doctor then began examining the sphere even closer and when the Brigadier was done talking on the phone, he walked over and asked what the Doctor was doing. The Doctor narrowed his eyes, “What is it”, I asked, “Well, it appears that in there we have what one might loosely call a brain. Fifty megacycles, Liz”, the Doctor said and Liz sent an electrical current through the sphere. 

“If we can establish a frequency on which it operates”, the Doctor said and the machine that Liz was working on gave a light explosion. I jumped back in surprise, then we all came forward to take a closer look at the machine, “We overloaded the circuits, I think” the Doctor told us, and I lifted a brow at him. 

“Doctor, you were saying this is some kind of brain”, Brigadier asked, “Yeah, or part of a brain…an intelligence? Yes, that’s probably hitting the mark”, the Doctor told us. "Sending signals? Where to”, the Brigadier asked, “The rest of itself, surely”, the Doctor answered. “The other globes that came down”, Liz asked. “All part of one brain…or intelligence as the Doctor said”, I commented and the Doctor nodded, “They’re…all part of one entity”, Liz asked shaking her head unsure. 

“Can it see us”, Brigadier asked a little uncomfortable, “My dear fellow, it’s not sentient”, the Doctor told him, “No, our measurements prove there’s no physical substance inside it”, Liz told the Brigadier. “But, if it has no physical form…- “, “No, once here it can presumably create a…suitable shell for itself. Otherwise there would be no point in coming”, the Doctor told us, cutting off the Brigadier. “The mannequins”, I stated, “The ones at the plastic factory”, Liz added, “Yes”, the Doctor agreed looking between us both.

Then the intercom buzzed, the call was from General Scobie again; which confused me, but why? Brigadier was telling the General, once he had the authority he would send his men in, however I overheard the General disagreeing with the plan and then hung up. Brigadier seemed confused as well, as he hung up, “What are you going to do now”, Liz asked. “There’s not much I can do, except go over his head…yes, I’ll get on to the Home Security and if I don’t get him to revoke the order; I’ll go to Unit Headquarters in Geneva”, Brigadier told us and my eyes widened, as I smiled in disbelief. 

“That’s going to take some time”, the Doctor told him, “Time we probably don’t have”, I added, “Is there any time you don’t agree with the Doctor”, Brigadier asked me. I lifted a brow at him, obviously he was referring to a future me, which I did not appreciate in the slightest. “I “agree”, when he’s right”, I told the Brigadier crossed and he just sighed at me.

“The old fool”, Brigadier said and I raised my eyebrows, placing my hands on my hips, he’s unbelievable I thought. “I beg your pardon”, the Doctor said, “Not you…I mean the General, just because he feels flattered they made him facsimile of him”, Brigadier said. “Facsimile”, I heard the Doctor whisper and looked over at him, “Of General Scobie”, the Doctor asked the Brigadier. “A plastic replica, yes”, Brigadier confirmed, “Apparently, they make these things for Madame Tussouds. It’s one of their sidelines.” “Oh, my goodness”, the Doctor said and looked at all of us, “The Wax Works”, my eyes widened as it clicked.

The Doctor took Liz and I to the Wax Works, where wax and plastic figures of celebrities where set up for people to view. We walked into one of the rooms as the Doctor told us that he thought we were in the right room. “Liz do you recognize any of these people”, the Doctor asked her, “Yes of course”, she replied, “I think all of that group are civil servants…that’s odd...” she said as she walked up to them, “They’re all government types…” “All of them”, I asked her as I looked around, “Yes, there are no astronauts, famous personalities, you know people like that…”

“Yeah…excuse me” the Doctor asked an older man just as he was passing by, “Yes, sir”, the man replied. “Am I right to assume these figures are wax, correct”, the Doctor asked him. “Yes, that’s correct, sir”, the man told him, “These are plastic, an entirely new process.” My eyes widened at that, “Are they supplying anymore or is the tableau complete now”, the Doctor asked the man. “They’re coming in with them all the time, sir. They brought that fellow in just this morning”, the man told the Doctor, pointing to one of the figures on the stage. 

When I looked at the figure, it felt like I was struck in the head, I winced and placed a hand on my forehead as my head ached. Then I felt liquid run down my nose and tried to quickly cover it, before anyone saw. Apparently, I wasn't quick enough as the Doctor gave me a handkerchief from his pocket, “General Scobie”, Liz exclaimed once she saw the figure as well, as I pretended to be sick wiping my nose. 

The Doctor reached out his hand and I assumed he wanted the handkerchief as I folded it and placed it in his hand. He glanced at his hand before sighing and pocketed it, then gently grabbed my wrist to check my pulse, “That was quick, when did he visit the factory”, the Doctor asked the man, as he gave us a puzzled look. “Yesterday afternoon”, Liz replied and the Doctor patted my hand before he released it to go examine the plastic figure on stage. 

I lifted a brow as he glanced around at the figure, then turned his ear towards it as if listening for something, “What are you doing”, Liz asked and the Doctor shushed her. It wasn’t until I saw the General’s watch around his wrist, that I heard the ticking and everything drowned out as the ticking got louder and louder. “Look”, the Doctor said and I shook my head, shaking off the feeling, as I glanced at the Doctor. Liz gave me a confused glance and I pointed at the General’s wrist with my eyes and then looked directly at it, before she followed my line of sight.

I heard a light gasp as she saw it, when the Doctor lifted the plastic General’s sleeve to reveal that he wore a working wrist watch. The Doctor pulled the sleeve back down and walked over to us, “If you were making a model of someone, would you put a real wristwatch on it”, the Doctor asked us. “Well, I might do it if it had to look authentic”, Liz told him, “Yes, but would you go to the trouble of winding it up, keeping it at the correct time”, the Doctor asked her. “We may need to speak to the Brigadier about this”, I said, “Agreed”, the Doctor said as we walked into the hall, so he could call Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart. 

However, as it turned out he wasn’t there, “Trying to see the Home Security, I gather”, the Doctor said as he spoke to someone else, “Well, when he comes in. Tell him I’ll call him later, will you? Goodbye”, the Doctor said and then hung up. I sighed, “Now what do we do”, Liz asked, “Well, there’s only one thing we can do…we wait”, the Doctor told her, “Wait for what”, I asked, “Closing time”, he told me, with a smile. 

One by one, we took turns to hide behind a curtain inside of the room with all the plastic government officials. Then at closing time, the guard came in and turned off all the lights and I was glad we found some flashlights in a nearby storage closet. Liz and I followed the Doctor out from behind the curtain, if there was someone watching us…they probably would’ve thought it was kind of strange if they saw us duck in behind the curtain. 

I blushed at the embarrassing thought as I looked around with my flashlight, “I don’t like this”, I heard Liz say and looked over at her, before looking around again. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, they’re only dummies…I think”, the Doctor told us, “Oh well, that makes us feel a whole lot better”, I said sarcastically as my hand shook, looking at the different realistic looking plastic figures. “It’s funny how they’re eyes seem to follow you”, the Doctor added and I glared at him, before looking back at a statue flashing a light in its face. I felt my blood run cold and quickly looked away, “Yeah”, I said quietly, before I quickly walked closer to the pair. 

“Doctor”, Liz said quietly, but he ignored her as we stepped up to the plastic government official’s stage. After a moment, I said, “Doctor”, confused at what he was looking at, then Liz backed up into us as she glanced around frantically. “Doctor, Acacia”, she said frightened, “What is it”, “Hmm”, the Doctor and I said at the same time. “I thought I heard something”, she said, turning around to face us, “No, it’s only your imagination”, the Doctor told her as I scanned the room to make sure. 

“Are they plastic”, Liz asked, “Yes, yes, I’m sure they are”, the Doctor replied, “What about the watch”, I asked, “Yes, when you talked about the watch. You meant this is the real General Scobie”, Liz added. “Yes, and his plastic facsimile is walking around somewhere. Now just-“, “Someone’s coming”, Liz said suddenly, cutting off the Doctor, sounding alarmed. “Quick! Back behind the curtain”, the Doctor told us and we did just that, turning off our flashlight just as we heard a door open. 

“What’s wrong”, we heard Mr. Hibbert say, “There is an alien…or two lifeforms somewhere near. I can sense it”, we heard another man say. The Doctor glanced at me, before looking away…an alien? “There’s only you and me here, and the facsimiles…and Scobie”, Mr. Hibbert told the other man, “Scobie, yes…but who is the other one”, the other man asked and the Doctor was quick to grab my hand, then he closed his eyes. 

“…It’s gone…it’s faded…”, the other man said sounding confused and I narrowed my eyes in confusion as I looked at the Doctor. “What do you have to do to activate them”, Mr. Hibbert asked suddenly, “Nothing, they know it’s time”, the other man said and then we heard multiple footsteps walk away. The figures, quite literally, came to life and walked away I thought as my heartbeat quickened in fear. The Doctor began rubbing his thumb against my knuckles trying to calm me down, was my heart beating that loud I wondered. 

“Where are they going”, Mr. Hibbert asked, “To take their places. It is time for them to begin their work”, the other man replied, then we heard the door close and we could only assume they had left. Walking out from behind the curtain, we noticed the entire stage that was filled with government officials was completely gone, save for the General. 

“What are you doing here”, we heard Mr. Hibbert ask from behind us, and I jumped in fright, “You shouldn’t…Channing will…” Mr. Hibbert began to say before the Doctor shushed him, letting go of my hand, and walked up to him. Mr. Hibbert’s voice slowed until it completely stopped, “If you tell Channing we’re here, the Autons will kill us, as I think your friend Ransom”, the Doctor told him quietly. 

Mr. Hibbert began to rub the back of his neck as the Doctor said that, he continued to do so as he said, “Ransom? I had to dismiss him…because Channing…Channing said- “, “Channing is controlling your mind. You must resist him”, the Doctor told him, cutting him off. “Channing is your enemy, the enemy to the entire human race”, the Doctor told him and Mr. Hibbert seemed like he was not quite listening. Whatever control Channing had on Mr. HIbbert seemed to have affected his mind severely, where he couldn’t think for himself. “Channing is my partner…new policy...” Mr. Hibbert said and then trailed off as I slowly walked up next to the Doctor, worried for Mr. Hibbert. 

“Now, listen to me Mr. Hibbert, you’ve got to get away from Channing. Get away and think. Now come to Unit, we can help you”, the Doctor told the man, and the man just shook his head. “Mr. Hibbert...Channing is using you, manipulating you, he’s making you think how he wants you to. He’s a bad man and you need to get away from him”, I told Mr. Hibbert and he seemed to be somewhat listening now, at least until we heard Channing call for Mr. Hibbert out in the hall.

The three of us were quick to go and hide behind the curtain, just as Channing walked in, “What are you doing”, Channing asked Mr. Hibbert. “I was just checking”, Mr. Hibbert replied and the Doctor held my hand, for whatever reason…this seemed to make Channing sense that I wasn’t there. “Hmm…there’s nothing to check. We are finished here”, Channing said and they left. 

It was late at night when we got back to the Unit Base, and we went straight to Brigadiers office, “It’s the facsimiles Brigadier, their moving”, he Doctor told him outright as soon as we walked into his office. “They’ve just let the Wax Works”, I added, “You’ve got to act quickly, Brigadier, or else by tomorrow- “, “By tomorrow, they will have taken over the key positions in the entire country. You’ve got to move against the factory now”, the Doctor told the Brigadier, cutting off Liz. 

“Alright…but I have one question”, Brigadier asked, “What is it”, the Doctor asked impatiently, “Why are your hands joined”, the Brigadier as the Doctor and I, we immediately released our hands. I crossed my arms and blushed embarrassed, “I can’t explain right now”, the Doctor told the Brigadier, “Can’t? Or won’t”, the other man asked the Doctor. “We don’t have time for you this”, I told them and Brigadier sighed, then nodded. 

Before we left, Brigadier had told me he had forgiven me about taking the key without his permission and somehow, he seemed sad while telling me this. I didn’t want to read much into it, so I simply nodded my head and walked away. I was wondering what happened to cause the Brigadier to act this way…I mean I had an idea, but it was hard to imagine. 

“You’ll figure it out later”, the Doctor answered my unspoken question and I raised my brows at him, “Did you just- “, “You’re easy to read”, the Doctor said, cutting me off and then smiled, before walking away. That was strange…for a moment I thought he read my mind. 

Liz, the Doctor, and I walked down the hall and then entered the laboratory only to find out that the sphere had been stolen. We all sighed and then went straight to work. 

It was about five-thirty in the morning and we were working on a machine, that took all night to build, now we just had to connect a couple of wires to it. “It’s half past five…can’t we take a break. I can hardly keep my eyes open”, Liz complained, “And…a red…here it is”, the Doctor said, reaching beneath the desk to pull one out and showed it us. Then he handed the red wire to Liz and then handed us some more, “Hold these for a moment, will you”, the Doctor told us.

“Just think the rest of the world is fast asleep”, Liz said and yawned, “When was the last time you slept”, she asked me, “A couple of days ago”, I told her, as I was a little more awake then she was. “Really? Do you drink coffee”, she asked me. “No…I just haven’t been that tired recently and…I don’t like coffee”, I said glancing over at her, then back at the wires in my hands before I dropped them. 

Brigadier came into the room and then the phone rang, he answered and there was a lot of screaming going on the other end. “Did you call the policeman? The military? Well keep trying”, Brigadier said over the phone and then hung up. “It’s started hasn’t it”, the Doctor asked, “Yes…all over the country, window dummies coming alive, attacking police stations, communication centers…”, Brigadier told him as he was stressing out. 

Then Liz started banging on the radio and I looked over at her questioningly, “The radio is dead too”, she told us, “And banging on it…will make it work”, I asked sarcastically. “It does sometimes”, she told me, “Now look, we haven’t got much time”, the Doctor said, grabbing the wires out of my hands so he could put it in the machine. 

“Well, now that the globe has gone, we can’t be sure if this is going to work”, Liz told him, “Of course it will work”, the Doctor retorted. “What is it”, Brigadier asked confused, “It’s a weapon”, I told him. “Yes, well…I’m trying to devise a weapon that we can use against them. Well, it’s not very efficient…I know, but it’s the best that I can do. And then you’ve got to take me to the security area of the factory”, the Doctor told him.

“I’m coming with you”, I told the Doctor, “No”, both Brigadier and the Doctor shouted and I was stunned as I glanced between the two of them. “Look…if it’s going to be dangerous I….I want to help”, I said, “It’s going to be dangerous, which is why I’m going in alone and that’s final”, the Doctor told me before I could say anything. “How am I supposed to get you inside? I can’t even contact my support platoons”, Brigadier said to the Doctor. “Well, how many can you raise”, the Doctor asked him, “Just my quarter staff”, Brigadier replied. 

The Doctor sighed at that, “Well then…that’ll have to do, won’t it”, the Doctor said, then he took his machine as the Brigadier called his men forward. “Doctor”, I called as I ran up to them as they were getting their stuff ready outside, he turned around to look at me. “Why can’t I go”, I asked as I watched Liz get into the van, I supposed they needed her help because she was a scientist. The Doctor was silent for a moment before he sighed and hugged me, which confused me. Before I could contemplate he was soon gone with Liz, Brigadier, and the soldiers that were in Unit base.

Once they were gone, it wasn’t long before I stole a vehicle and left for the factory, I was going to make sure nobody died. I snuck to the back entrance until I fell on my knees, feeling something invisible strangle me. I tried pulling at whatever what was on my neck, only to find out nothing was actually there. Suddenly, whatever held my throat released me and I held it as I massaged it; I was coughing and gasping for air.

I had a bad feeling about this, so I ran through the factory and entered through the door that said, “No entry.” Upon entering and going into the room, I saw the Doctor lying down next to a strange machine covered in ashes. The Doctor glanced over at me as I leaned against the wall, rubbing my throat and I was glad he was okay. “You can switch it off now, I think Liz”, the Doctor said, and I heard a switch, just as Liz appeared from behind another wall; her eyes widened in surprise as soon as she saw me. 

I slowly walked in to see a mannequin oozing from the eyes on the floor, “Channing” Liz told me and glanced at her in surprise, before looking back at the mannequin. The Doctor got up, then walked up to me seemingly disappointed at me before he hugged me and again…I was confused by this. 

When we returned to Unit, the Brigadier lifted a brow knowingly once he saw me with the Doctor and Liz, “Why am I not surprised”, he said and then walked up to the machine. The Doctor sat on the table. “So, what is this machine? Because whatever you did, it destroyed those creatures”, Brigadier told the Doctor. “Basically it’s the same as an ECT machine”, Liz told him and he looked at her questioningly, “Electric Convulsion Therapy”, she explained and I cringed at that.

“Only more powerful of course”, the Doctor told him and I rubbed my arms uncomfortably, I had to keep reminding myself that it was a different time…I was glad electrical therapy was banned in my time, but the thought of it here and now…I was not okay with tortuous methods of “therapy.” 

“Well, it worked Doctor, these Nestenes…will they try again”, Brigadier asked the Doctor, “Possibly….they’re telepathic, so they certainly know what happened”, the Doctor told him and I sighed, “So…there’s a possibility that we might...”, I asked the Doctor who nodded. “If they do decide to launch a second attack. I hope we can count on you again”, Brigadier told the Doctor. 

“Yes, well…before we go into that, Brigadier…I think we must discuss terms”, the Doctor said, “Terms”, Brigadier asked narrowing his eyebrows in confusion. “Yes, after all you do want to take advantage of our services again, don’t you”, the Doctor asked him, “”Our””, Brigadier asked, quoting him, “Yes, “our”; now listen here you-“, “I think you’ll find the salary quite adequate”, Brigadier said, cutting off the Doctor. I lifted a brow, everybody just loves cutting others off around here don’t they?

"“Money?" My dear chap, we don’t need money. We’ve got no use for the stuff”, the Doctor told him, “Then what do you want”, Brigadier asked. “Well, facilities to repair the Tardis, laboratory, equipment-“, “Help from Liz, a place to sleep and relax”, I added, cutting off the Doctor. “Ah, yes…help from Liz and..” the Doctor glanced over at me questioningly at the last part and I shrugged, I had no place to sleep and unlike the Doctor I actually needed it. 

“Very well, anything else you need, within reason of course”, Brigadier asked us, “Is that all”, and the Doctor shook his head somewhat amused. “My goodness no, don’t you realize that when we were stranded on this little planet of yours, we had these clothes that…oh, my goodness”, the Doctor said and then covered his face.

I was confused at first, at least until I actually thought about it and my eyes widened as I blushed at the prospect, “What is it”, Liz asked us. “I’ve just realized that we don’t actually own these clothes, we’ve borrowed them from the hospital. And there’s that car too”, the Doctor told them. “You mean we stole them”, I said as I rubbed my forehead and the Doctor hushed me. 

“You know, I took that car because it had character”, the Doctor said quietly, “No, Doctor that car must be returned to its owner”, Brigadier told him, “Must it? Yes…yes, I suppose it must…still there’s no reason why you couldn’t find something similar is there? I mean...it could persuade me to stay you know”, the Doctor said and I place my hands on my hips lifting a brow at the Doctor. 

I shook my head and smiled amused as I watched the two of them, “Very well”, Brigadier told him, “Good, when can we go get it”, the Doctor asked impatiently. “Not yet, I must arrange for a full set of paper work first. By the way, I’ve just realized, I don’t even know your name”, Brigadier said to the Doctor. “Smith. Doctor John Smith and my associate Acacia Wood”, the Doctor told him and then winked at me knowingly.


End file.
